


Six Feet Under the Stars

by meggannn



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2009-05-01
Updated: 2016-04-15
Packaged: 2017-10-22 16:53:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 36
Words: 23,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/240288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meggannn/pseuds/meggannn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>100 themed short fics about a pharaoh and his partner. For lover100 @ LJ: http://ladyarts.livejournal.com/1819.html</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 29 – day

It wasn't even a very good bar, to be honest. The alcohol was apparently only decent, the prices neither cheap nor outrageous, and the crowd was never that bad. Still, the place had an odd feeling, a lonely sort of change in the air that you could feel when you walked in. This was a place where the bachelors went, the people who didn't have anywhere else to go went. The people whose hearts had just been broken and were looking, always looking, to soothe the pain, or the feeling, or whatever else that was not wanted. Sure, you could find another place, a less expensive place, where the bartender might actually care about your problems, or at least pretend to, and the tables never had a speck of dust… but Yugi didn't; he never did.

Because really, this bar had a spectacular view. Atem could appreciate that.

The large, open balcony that took up the back of the room currently informed its occupants that it was dusk. The clouds were yellow against a thick sheet of orange sky that illuminated against the water of the harbor outside. A slight breeze, barely noticeable under normal circumstances but more than enough to chill you if the right person had just done the wrong thing, blew through the room and did not move his hair when it passed through.

Yugi was sitting at a stool, naturally, and looked as if he was trying to get himself drunk – which would never work, because it was a universally-known fact that that man and liquor did not mix. Though he had to give his partner credit for trying.

According the records of his tracks, Yugi hadn't made any, and was still living quite comfortably in Domino with his aging grandfather, one Solomon Mutou, and holding a steady income while working for Seto Kaiba. He had a great life. It was one Atem might have envisioned for himself, not too long ago. But time did not agree, and things had changed. People had changed. Yugi had changed.

Atem knew this, and knew it well. But he didn't stop himself from approaching the figure at the counter.

"Sir. Would you like another cosmopolitan?" At Yugi's polite shake of the head, the bartender moved away to speak with another customer, turning his back and leaving the air filled with silence and thoughts.

"I didn't think you would ever be the type to drink alone in a bar with only a glass of alcohol for company," Atem commented quietly, though still firm, as he sat two seats away. In the corner of his senses, something paused, hesitating, waiting for him to finish to resume.

"People are always assuming things about me," Yugi said with a chuckle, then raised tired eyes to look at the newcomer. "You sound as if you know me. Should I recognize you, then?"

He could feel his hand pausing, almost freezing, and he thought his answer through carefully before replying. "That depends on if you want to."

Yugi sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm not really in the mood for omniscient, mysterious strangers. If you're here to steal my soul or beat me up for the god cards, you'll have to get in line, or at least wait until tomorrow, when I'll be awake enough to attempt to fight back."

Atem smiled, closing his eyes. "Nothing that exciting. I just wanted to say hello."

"'Hello,' then." Yugi gave him an odd look. "…You do look familiar. What's your name?"

"I have gone by many names."

"Again, no mystery, please," Yugi asked, mildly annoyed, and Atem laughed.

"I apologize, partner. You deserve specifications, and unfortunately, I am in no position to be giving any."

It took a minute for Yugi's head to rise, very slowly, to squint at the pharaoh in the dim light. His gaze was calculating, putting two and two together to get a four that wasn't possible. "Yami…?"

"I had to say goodbye."

"I… I see." Yugi's fingers were pale around the stem of the glass on the counter, eyes hopeful and staring into his own. "And you're not just… a figment of my imagination?"

"No, partner. I am not." Atem took a seat next to him, placing a hand that couldn't be felt on Yugi's cheek. "You should not be here."

"I don't do this often," Yugi replied, protesting with no force. "I just needed it tonight."

"You should still be home," Atem said, smiling. "Take care of yourself, please. We have gone through too much for you not to make sure you are safe at the end of the day."

The sun was shining its last edges of light into the bar, and soon it would be dark, but neither minded nor noticed that its position on the horizon was not changing.

"Yami, I…"

"There is no need to apologize, partner. I do not blame you, and you should not blame yourself." He placed a hand on Yugi's knee, stroking the skin through fabric –  _Still wearing those leather pants_ , he noticed with bittersweet satisfaction – and for a moment, he could fool himself that this would last. Just for a moment. But it was enough.

"You'll have to go soon, right?"

"Yes. I do not believe I will be returning again."

Yugi nodded, relatively calm in acceptance, and closed his eyes.

Atem placed a kiss to Yugi's forehead. "Do not forget yourself, partner. I know it has been years and I understand that it must be hard… but you need to make yourself happy. Please do not remove yourself because of me. You deserve so much more."

Yugi was silent, and Atem drew back, drinking in one last of his partner look for memory's sake. He looked very tired, very saddened. And satisfied. It was not enough for his own happiness, but for now, it would do.

"I need to move on," a twenty-four-year-old Yugi murmured to himself, letting go of the glass to reach out and touch the corner of nonexistent lips. It was something he'd wanted to do for years, and even if he could not feel a thing, nothing more than a whisper of smoke, he wanted to be able to say that he did. That he had his pharaoh all to himself for one minute, two minutes, as much time as he could. "I need to accept this and move on…"

Atem watched him quietly. "It has been years, partner. Time can't always heal everything."

Yugi's eyes slowly met his again. "I know. And I don't… want it to."

Atem's soft smile was fading before his eyes, into the background and out of existence. "Don't ever change the way you are." And after a moment, as the hands disappeared, the warm maroon eyes and the dark hair and the familiar, comforting presence, all leaving him again, "I've never loved anyone more."

The vision vanished, the speed of time resumed its course, and as Yugi Mutou stood and walked from the bar near the harbor with slow and consistent steps, the sun dipped below the horizon, wavering for a minute, before disappearing and ending the day, just as it had forever, and just as it always would.


	2. 16 – absurd

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Partner, forget about everyone else for a moment. I want to know what you say. To me. Right here. Right now."

There was a certain sense of… synergy, between him and the pharaoh. Which was ridiculous. Yeah, sure, they were connected by their souls through the Millennium Puzzle or whatever, but really,  _this_ sort of thing was…

"It's what, partner?"

He wanted to say wrong. He wanted to say it was… bad.

"I do not see what is so wrong about love."

Love. Now there was a strange word. What, exactly, did this – did  _this_ – kind of love entail?

"Whatever you would like it to. I will not act without your consent."

And what would happen when it ended? The pharaoh couldn't stay in the Puzzle forever. Both of them knew that, even if they did not know how he would escape its confinement; and the younger knew that once the other was gone, he wasn't coming back.

"I will not leave you, partner."

Well, he'd say that, and then…

"Do you not trust me to keep my word?"

It wasn't about trust. He already trusted the spirit.

"Then what is it about?"

It was about… well. He wasn't so sure. Wasn't there a rulebook for this sort of thing?

"I was unaware that there are rules for 'this sort of thing.'"

But that was what Joey was always saying…

"I admire Joey for his friendship and loyalty, but I do not believe that we need to follow his advice, however helpfully intended it may be."

'We' was already making its appearance in dialogue? The concept was strange.

"It does not have to be."

But he had never…

"I do not judge you for it."

And what about Téa?

"…What about Téa?"

Well, she… she was… she would –

"Partner, forget about everyone else for a moment. Forget about what they would think, what they would say. I want to know what you say."

To what?

"To me."

Right there, right then?

"Right here. Right now."

He would say… he would say yes. Absolutely yes. If it were just a decision between the two of them, their compatibility and none of the rest of the world's interference… yes.

"'The rest of the world's interference'?"

He was in a  _puzzle_. He didn't exist in the real world. To everyone else except for his partner, he wasn't there.

"But I am here."

He knew that. He'd known that all along.

"Partner, I do not offer myself to others very often. But I had a feeling, and still do… that we both need this."

Was that it, then? Was it he that he needed all along?

"I am tired of pretending that I was wrong. If you'll have me, I am yours."

It was madness. Absolutely absurd. But somehow, totally understood.

And wanted.

Yugi only stared up at him, releasing a soft breath of air, with wonderment and fascination in his gaze. "It had to be you…"

The pharaoh smiled and leaned in for a kiss.


	3. 06 – first meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He'd been here for a year already. I just wanted to introduce myself for the first time. Formally. Officially.

His door is really, _really_  intimidating. There is a huge eye, similar to the one on the Puzzle, plastered to the front of it with dark, vein-like rope things stretching across the door itself. Given how the spirit always seems so confident, powerful, threatening – and occasionally frightening, even – I suppose the door to his "Soul Room," as I guess this is, should match his personality.

But still…

I shake my head, tell myself to get a grip. He's been here for a year, at least, so it's only common courtesy for me to stop by and say hello. Officially.

Am I supposed to knock, or what?

Without knowing the answer, I still move my hand up to the door; my knuckles are ready to tap against it when it opens.

Without me touching it.

With no one inside.

It's not too late to turn back…

But I step over the threshold anyway – because really, I have to give it a good shot at the very least – and when the door doesn't slam behind me and lock me inside this place, I heave a sigh of relief.

I've been in this crazy maze before, but that could never mean that I know my way around it. Last time, actually, the staircase directly on the left led to a door, not a brick wall, as it does now. I suppose this place is like those magic staircases from the Harry Potter books.

I don't want to sit here and wait for something to happen, but I don't want to start running around and getting lost, either. At least here I'm standing near a constant in this place: the door to the hallway behind me.

I turn around, just to check – but it's gone.

Of course.

"Yugi."

I turn. "Oh. Ah, hi – er, hello."

The spirit does not raise an eyebrow or give a questioning gaze at how I'm stumbling over these words. I kind of want him to show some emotion, at the very least; what happened to all of that enthusiasm that he throws out on the dueling field?

"See, I know that this is probably really awkward for the both of us, but I figured we should meet up officially. I know that you know who I am, but I don't really know who  _you_  are, and while I don't mind that you're here, I'd still kind of like to know. Please."

He takes a long time answering. His eyes are staring into mine; it's unnerving, and just as I'm starting to feel uncomfortable over the silence and the lack of a response, I realize that he's only thinking, and not doing it specifically to weird me out.

"It will set your mind at ease, to know my identity?"

I blink. "Well… yeah. I guess you could say it like that. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but it'd just be cool to know who you are. I'm assuming that you reside in the Millennium Puzzle, and since I completed that last December, you've been here for a little over eleven months… I just think we should introduce ourselves. Formally, you know."

I clear my throat, and, after consideration, stick out a hand. "So, hello. My name is Yugi Mutou, I'm a sophomore at Domino High, and I solved the Millennium Puzzle last year. As of last Saturday I'm apparently the King of Games, too – though perhaps that only applies to Duel Monsters – but I know that someone else deserves the title a lot more than I do, and even though he's been with me for a while, I don't know him all that well, though I'd really like to, and… I'm hoping that he feels the same way."

The spirit eyes my hand for a while, as if contemplating whether offering it to shake is normal in conversation for this day and age. After another long, nervous moment, he puts his hand in mine and squeezes it firmly. I'd expected it to be warm, but I realize now that there is no  _essence_  behind his hand, no real skin or blood to back up the nonexistent flesh.

He's there, but he's not… _there_.

"I have gone by many names, but… if you so choose, you may call me 'Yami.'"

I don't question the meaning behind this name, or why he picks it. "Okay… Yami."

He nods. "What do you wish to know?"

A lump rises in my throat; I swallow it down. "Well I don't mean to be rude with this one, but…" He waves a hand for me to continue. "…Who are you?"

The spirit – Yami – looks surprised. "I was hoping that you could tell me."

"Wait, what?"

"Allow me to rephrase that. I was hoping that  _someone_  could inform me of my identity. Since you are my vessel, the one who completed my Puzzle, I made one too many assumptions and concluded that you might hold that knowledge. I apologize."

"No – it's fine, but – you don't know who you are?"

If he is annoyed by how long it's taking me to comprehend this, he doesn't show it. "Yes."

"And – you don't know how you came to be in the Puzzle?"

"…No." He looks around, up at the staircases and doors and hallways… and sighs. "No. I do not know."

This is depressing. I can't even do anything to help; I feel as if I've let him down, not knowing anything that could help him figure out who he is. He's done so much for me, and now, when  _he_  needs something…

"I'm really sorry," I say quietly. "It must be horrible, to lose your memories like that."

He slowly nods his head. "It is…" But he starts shaking it now. "And it isn't." Yami looks up at me. "It gives me a chance to start over. I'm a new person, and while I do wish to know who I used to be…"

My eyes widen as he looks at me, eye to eye, and gives a lopsided smile – it's probably the first one that he's had on his face in a long time. "I'm very lucky to have found such a gracious environment in which I may find my bearings again. Thank you."

His words throw me off-guard for a moment, though when I think about it, I suppose he does have enough to thank me for: he thinks I'm going out of my way to be his 'vessel,' as he called it, when in reality I haven't given all  _that_  much up at all. He thinks that I should want to get rid of the Puzzle to save myself from further trouble that he would bring, though I know I couldn't bring myself to feel that way if I tried.

"Y-you're welcome," I say, smiling back. "But you've done a lot for me, too, you know."

He looks curious. Confused. I keep talking.

"Well, you've made me a lot more confident – enough to gain friends, as I have… including you."

Yami widens his own eyes, as if he's surprised that I'm calling him a friend. "You – I… thank you, Yugi. Your words mean a lot."

"You're definitely welcome," I say, a bit more comfortable now that I've gotten stared. "And, uh, you've also stopped Ushio from beating me up, as well as the other older guys."

"I do not understand why they would do such a thing to you in the first place," he sniffs. "Why would they hurt you as they have?"

"The-the bullying?"

"Yes."

"It's… well, I'm small. The older guys… they're so much bigger, and I guess they like that conformation of that knowledge. Makes them feel better."

"Do not try to justify their actions." Yami narrows his eyes, though I understand he's not angry with me. "You deserve much better."

"I know," I reply, gratefully. "I know that now. Thanks to you."

"I am only protecting you, as I should." He looks at me curiously. "Though one thing I do not understand… why were you not afraid?"

He doesn't need to clarify. "Well, I…" He's staring at me. Why  _hadn't_  I been afraid of Ushio and the others? Is it my determined beliefs of the good inside everyone's hearts? Is it how I've been through it all before, enough to know that I'm always fine on the other side, if a little roughed up, fine enough to cover it up with some makeup and go to school again the next day?

He's making it sound like I was supposed to be afraid. And I guess I was supposed to. But even I can't understand why I never was.

"Fear is a strange thing," I say finally, lamely.

Yami watches me carefully, then lets out a breath of air that could be a sigh. "Indeed."

"…I remember the first time it happened." I'm talking to my shoes. "I was just walking home, and some guys found me… I'd seen stuff like that happen before, on movies and all, so I knew what to expect. I wasn't new to it or anything. And I guess I should have assumed it would have happened to me eventually."

Yami's eyes grow concerned. I briefly wonder why I'm still talking.

"I just kind of zoned out. It happened really quickly, because as soon as I found an opening I sprinted out of there and found a safe place to hide. But they followed me, stomped around for a while and yelled all sorts of things… and I was absolutely terrified that they would hurt me even more than they already had. The fear was just so… crazy. It was just  _real_. And I knew that I had to deal with it eventually."

I swallow. "So I made a choice. I let the fear in, let it take over – but only for five seconds, 'cause that was all I was gonna give it. I just… counted. Counted to five, really slowly. One, two, three, four… five. And when I opened my eyes, I could see they were heading off. I grabbed my bag, snuck home, and I was fine.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is that I didn't want to be afraid like that again. I was terrified when it first happened, and I hated feeling like that, like I didn't know what was going on. But after that I knew what was going to happen; they weren't going to kill me, not really. It was better not feeling anything than getting scared like that again."

Yami's eyes find mine; he looks… sad, almost. "That's very admirable of you, Yugi." He lets out another breath of air. "Though I wish it so that you had not deal with it at all."

"But I'm fine now," I say. "I turned out all right."  _If not like I wanted to._  "And you're to thank for that, of course. I never had the courage that you seem to radiate."

He raises an eyebrow, amused. "You have strength too, Yugi. I wish you would realize that."

"There's a reason why you take over whenever we're dueling, Yami. You can do some things that I just… can't."

"Hmm." He steps closer, taking my hand in his, and raises it up for inspection. "You are your own person, as I am my own, and we each have our weaknesses. However, when we join together to duel, we bring out the best in each other. Our weaknesses and our strengths balance each other out. We do everything equally, as a team. As partners."

I must admit, I kind of like that word. "Partners?"

"Yes, Yugi. Partners." He drops my hand and this time, he sticks out his own to me for confirmation of our new statuses. "Will you allow me to call you such?"

I stare at his palm for a long while. Just a year ago, I was terrified of this being, this spirit. I was terrified of Yami. But he isn't the same as he used to be, and neither am I. We aren't strangers anymore. I like that.

"Yeah," I say, smiling back and taking the hand. "Partners."


	4. 47 – life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You've got to live bright enough to feel the light, and long enough to see some change.

Most mortals don't live longer than eighty years – a hundred, at most. Pharaoh Atem had only lived around two decades when he had made his sacrifice; it wasn't long enough to see the changes that took place later on, but was more than enough for him to recognize, touch, and feel the light, when it eventually comes.

Yugi places the last piece into the Puzzle, and Atem embraces the sun.


	5. 05 – discovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> See how well our heartbeats match?

It was in the aftermath that he noticed it. His head was resting on the pharaoh's chest; it was rising and falling with his breaths, and Yugi's ear pressed closer to his skin.

Atem's arm was around Yugi's neck and clutched his hand around Yugi's own heart. He cracked open his eyes when Yugi rose a bit, putting his palm flat on the other's chest.

"Partner – ?"

"Do you feel that?" Yugi asked.

Atem blinked, pausing for a moment, then froze as he felt identical thumps resounding from each of their chests, beating, synchronized. Matching. Perfectly. It was almost like…

"…Yeah." Atem smiled and leaned up to bury his face in Yugi's warm neck. "I do."


	6. 60 – could of

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Afterlife was just as glorious as they'd told him.

It was like they'd told him.

His family, his friends, his home. The people he'd grown up with, the people who had raised him to become a pharaoh were all there, exactly as he could now remember – it was as perfect as the scriptures had told them. The Afterlife was wonderful, just as they'd always said.

But no amount of it all could keep him from remembering his partner. He wonders, sometimes, if he should have told him everything before he left. On some days he thinks he made the wiser choice, and on others he spends his days in foul moods, cursing himself for a fool. His friends worry. His family tries to understand.

Though none of them could ever, really. It had been his decision. He'd had the opportunity to do so much, and blown it. If only he had been as honest with Yugi as Yugi had been with him – maybe it would have changed how things had turned out.

Atem didn't know. He didn't want to think about it. All he could do now was spend his days enjoying his company, and his nights crying silently, mourning what never was, and what, now, never would be.


	7. 32 – water

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pool-jumping wasn't a habit of Yugi's, but it was hot and Atem's backyard door WAS open…

"You have  _got_  to be kidding me."

"Come on, Yugi, it's scorching!" Joey was standing in a swimsuit, towel and flippers in hand. Tristan was behind him with a snorkel. "That thing's huge! Haven't you ever wanted to swim in it?"

"No, because it belongs to someone else," Yugi reasoned, but this did not stop them as they climbed over his neighbor's fence and into Atem Yamino's backyard.

Yugi sighed, heading back into his house. He grabbed a swimsuit and yanked it on – just in case he changed his mind, which he seriously doubted. He walked back outside, moving over to the fence door and opening it (Atem always kept it unlocked for Yugi, claiming he was welcome over at his house, but he'd never said anything about Joey and Tristan…). By the time he had closed it quietly on the other side and made sure that the lights weren't on inside Atem's house, his friends had already dove in.

"Guys, seriously, get out of there."

"But it's ninety-seven degrees! In  _November_!" Tristan reminded him, coming up for air. His head was sopping wet, brown locks sticking to his skin as he blinked water droplets out of his eyes.

"Come on, Yug," Joey said, splashing just enough water onto the pavement to make Yugi jump a bit. "The water's ni-ice…"

"This is exactly the kind of thing they warn you about in school, peer pressure and all that." Yugi sighed. "I'll stick my feet in, but I'm not going to swim."

"Aw, that's no fun," Tristan said. He dove under again, disappearing. As he swam the length of the pool, Joey followed him, dipping under. They emerged a minute later and Yugi kicked off his shoes, then rolled up his sweatpants and dunked his feet in the water. It was warm, and he leaned back on his palms and looked up at the sky. He hadn't been to a pool in a while, but this felt better than he'd remembered.

Joey and Tristan stayed in for about half an hour, dunking each other and playing Marco Polo. By the time they climbed out, it was past ten at night, and even Joey – who always had some sort of battery storage attached to his back for extra energy – was exhausted. "See," the blonde said as he toweled off, "one dip. No harm done."

"It's nice," Yugi agreed, moving his feet in the water.

"You coming back with us?" Tristan asked when he didn't make a move to get out. They walked behind him, heading for the fence.

"In a minute. I'll just hang out here a while longer."

They left through the fence, where he could hear their voices fading as they crossed the Mutou backyard and into the kitchen, where his Grandpa was still awake, probably munching on a snack and reading a book. He waited until it had been quiet for a few minutes before slipping off his sweatpants; then, with one quick look to make sure he was still alone, he jumped in.

It was startling, at first, being back in a pool after so long not swimming. Just as quickly, though, all the instinct came back, and before he knew it he was moving steadily to the other side while water filled his ears. He hit a rhythm, lapping back and forth, back and forth, for so long that it took a few minutes to realize that a light clicked on in the house. Another turned on soon, too quick for him to realize.

Yugi froze, sinking down below the pool's edge, as a figure moved through the living room. After it crossed back once, then again, he heard a door slide open. He began to panic, taking a deep breath and submerging under the surface.

This was, as it turned out, not the smartest move, which became clear when he looked through the shifting blue water above to see his neighbor and classmate, Atem Yamino, staring down. By that time Yugi's lungs were threatening to combust, so he rose to the surface, his face bright red.

"Well, well," he said as Yugi sputtered to the surface. "What's this all about?"

Yugi swam to the edge, just to do something, then ran a hand over his face and wet hair. "Um," he said. "Actually – "

"Tristan and Joey were pool-jumping, huh?" he guessed.

"You knew?"

"I've known for a while. They're not exactly subtle about it." He pointed to the flippers Joey had deposited on one of the deck chairs. "Last time they left one of those donuts floating around in the water." He shook his head and came to sit down at the edge of the pool. "Still, at least people are getting some use out of this pool. My dad's always complaining about how much it's costing to heat it."

"You're not swimming in it anymore?"

Atem shook his head again. "No time to. Lately it's work, school, sleep, a social life, or hobbies. I've had to give up the last two, and even then, I'm struggling."

Yugi watched him for a few moments. "…You want to come in? It's really warm." It felt weird to invite Atem into his own pool, but he looked like he needed it.

"Nah, I'm okay." He sat on a nearby chair. "You go ahead, though."

Yugi bobbed there for a second, neither talking. "So I thought you were doing stuff for the school tonight. A fundraiser, or something."

"Change of plans. It was decided that I should come back home early."

"Decided," Yugi repeated.

Atem gave him a tired smile. "It's been a long day, let's just say that."

 _I'll bet._  Out loud, he said, "All the more reason to take a dip. I mean, it's ninety-seven degrees. In November. You know you want to."

Yugi honestly didn't think he'd do it – but Atem nodded slowly, and rose to his feet. "All right. I'll be back in a sec."

As he disappeared inside, Yugi realized that this might not have been one of his better ideas. Sure, they knew each other from school and all, but they weren't friends like Joey and Tristan were; not anymore. Maybe if they'd stayed as close as they had as kids, being next-door neighbors and all, things would've been different now during high school, but as things were… Talk about awkward.

Before he could figure out how to change this, though – or even decide if he wanted to – Atem came back outside, now in trunks, and walked across the patio. Needless to say, this was distracting. Yugi hadn't exactly seen him shirtless before, and now he could focus on little else. All the more reason, he told himself, to backtrack, but before he could Atem was stretching his arms overhead and diving in, hitting the water with the tiniest splash and disappearing below.

When he emerged, after swimming closer to Yugi with an effortless breast-stroke, he was told, "Nice form."

"Thanks. Years of training."

Suddenly, Yugi was aware of how close they were, with only the water between their bodies. Beneath the surface of the water his skin looked so pale, almost blue. When Yugi looked back up again, Atem was watching him too, and after meeting his gaze for a second he floated a bit closer; it was a casual move, but still noticeable.

"We don't really see each other very much, do we?" Atem asked.

"No… you got involved with school stuff. Sports teams, a job, that kind of… thing…"

"Do you know what the first thing I noticed about you was?" he asked suddenly. Yugi vaguely wondered how this topic had come to in his mind, but he shook his head curiously anyway, and Atem responded.

"You always bended to fit my schedule. I never asked, you never complained, you just… let me have my space when I needed it. I didn't have to say anything. You just figured I didn't need you around, or couldn't afford to."

Yugi blinked. "You got busy, so I…"

"You made an assumption." Atem leaned forward, staring into Yugi's eyes. "Why did you think I wouldn't want you with me while I tackled on the world?"

All around them, the neighborhood was quiet, the sky spread out wide and sprinkled with stars overhead. Yugi could feel him right there in front of him. He knew this wouldn't last forever; it was the reason why he should have climbed out right then, as well as why he knew he wouldn't.

Atem was still watching him, both of them bobbing, and he could feel the water around him, pressing in, pulling back. Then, slowly, Atem was moving closer, leaning in, and despite all Yugi'd told himself, he stayed where he was as he kissed him. His lips were warm, skin wet, and when he drew back, Yugi felt himself shiver, unaccustomed to anyone being so close, and yet still not quite ready for him to pull away yet.

"Are you cold?" Atem asked.

Yugi was about to shake his head, say that wasn't it at all; before he could, he felt a hand close over his. "Don't worry," Atem said, "it's warmer the deeper you go." Then, to prove it, he went under, and Yugi took a deep breath, and let Atem pull him down with him.


	8. 85 – diary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello. I've never told anyone this before, but sometimes, when I lie awake and trace the grooves and cracks of the Puzzle, I can almost feel a heartbeat.

Hello,

I've never had a diary before, or even a journal, but I figured now might be a good time to start. I'm sorry if I'm not doing things correctly, but it's just easier for me to write this as if it's a letter, as if somebody will eventually read it someday… even if it's just me.

I can't say what it is. But I'm so confused and I don't know where to turn to. Maybe you'll listen.

I… Look, something's happening. I don't even know what it is, I'm that confused. I have these blackouts, just all across town, usually when I'm being cornered by some big guy because I didn't do what he wanted me to or something… I just pass out, I suppose, because one minute I'll be looking up at the guy and the next I'll be on the ground, waking up, and he'll be unconscious next to me. Unconscious or dead. Sometimes even just gone.

There's been blood, a few times, though never my own. I suppose I'm scared.

Also, there's… this Puzzle. It comes from Ancient Egypt and when my grandfather (He used to be a big-time archeologist, went into pharaohs' tombs and everything, until he got tired of that and settled down here in Domino City) gave it to me, when I was a kid, it was still broken. It was in forty-nine pieces, I remember, I used to count them all the time. It took me seven years to finish the puzzle, and it ended up looking like an upside-down pyramid… I wear it around my neck now, which most people might think is kind of show-offy considering that it's bright gold, too (And another thing: it doesn't weigh as much as I thought gold would, but I'm not complaining).

Anyway, the Puzzle – I'm capitalizing it because it has an official title, the "Millennium Puzzle," just so you don't get confused – the Puzzle, ever since I've finished it last month, it's… I feel so attatched to it. Which is to be expected since I spent half my life working on the thing, but I don't want to leave the house without it. I don't like taking it off. I've become so used to it being there, like another limb, except it doesn't do anything.

Sometimes, at night, when I lie awake and trace some of the grooves in the corners and cracks, I can almost feel a heartbeat.

I've never told anyone this before. I don't know if I'll tell anyone ever again. I think… well, there's something magical about the Puzzle, I've never doubted that… but I've always thought it was a metaphorical kind of magic, like, you place a wish in it and the thing will come true, if you want it hard enough – and it's not because the Puzzle granted your wish, but it's because your strong will allowed the thing to happen in the first place. Does that make sense?

I think the Puzzle isn't just a metaphorical kind of magic. I think it's the real deal. My wish… I'm not going to tell you what I wished for, because for now, it's something I just want to keep to myself, but my wish came true. I know it did. And I'm happier than I have ever been, for it, I really am.

But I know it's  _magic_. There's so much more to this Puzzle than I originally gave it credit for. I mean, sure, Grandpa has told me all sorts of stories about how it holds the key to all of this dark power that a pharaoh sealed away three thousand years ago – and I believed it when I was a kid, and I used it as motivation to keep working on it… but now that it's done, I find myself hoping none of that is true. Dark power isn't something you wish for. I don't want horrible things to happen. I just became happy. I don't want this Puzzle to take it away.

There, I felt it. As I'm writing this I have one hand with the pen and the other is resting on the Puzzle – and I felt another…  _thump_. Like a pulse, kind of. That's the closest I can come to describing it. Pulse. It's not just physical; for a second it'll get really warm too, then cool, then warm again, and so on. Eventually it fades away. But it also feels more than just a change in temperature. It feels like… it's alive, or something. Which is crazy. I know it is. But that's what it feels like.

I don't know what this means. I don't know why I'm not terrified out of my wits. I think I'm going crazy. Which might be the most logical explanation, because after all, I'm  _happy_. I've never been able to truly, honestly say that in fifteen years. Something's very right and something's very wrong.

I don't want to tell anybody about all of this because I don't want them worrying. And then they'll ask me if I'm okay, which they don't want an honest answer to, and they won't expect the truth. If I was okay, they wouldn't have to wonder.

But I am okay. For the most part, I'm doing just fine, I really am. I suppose you may disagree, since I feel the need to write this in the first place, but I'm managing. I'm dealing with all of this madness, and I'm hoping that someday I won't have to anymore.

I guess that's it. I don't know if I'll write back to you, but thank you for reading.

Yugi


	9. 97 – wc: time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's all gone; all of it disappears, when the younger one day takes the largest piece from the golden puzzle, and the spirit is sealed back into it.

The pharaoh walks back from death and into the duel.

His Life Points counter clicks back up to 200, and the hovering golden box with the symbol of the udjat snaps shut; Slifer reappears on the field as Yugi stares up at it, unafraid and a little nervous of his next move.

Spectators watch on; some with disbelief written on their faces, some upset, and others with stoic expressions, as if they have been expecting what has already happened.

The ceremonial duel marches on, and Yugi feels himself becoming nervous again, the anticipation of what occurred at the end of this trial clotting in his stomach as the partners make their first moves.

When the two spirits join together, the group travels onto the cruise boat, where it is decided that the youngest of them all will duel the oldest. A conversation between best friends leaning on the railing, reminiscing on events that will happen two years from now. Reuniting with a grandfather and a friend in front of the ship, and leaving them now to travel back to the magic of Ancient Egypt.

Memories of a lost pharaoh become forgotten for the first time. His name is buried away for three thousand years, and as the spirit battles an ancient force that threatens the world's safety, old friends that have been scarified for the cause come back to help, while a white-haired thief sits above the game and laughs, turning hourglasses in his hand, over and over again.

A competition between two rivals is settled by Yugi Mutou, then reborn as a duel between him and the youngest von Schroeder races back to the beginning. A younger brother has played a forbidden card that he will hand over to his brother before this duel has started; and Yugi looks up at the golden castle and wonders how they have defeated it.

The magic of a wicked seal pushes the two together, repairing the tear, but waiting only until after the pharaoh has broken, pounding the dry earth and screaming at the sky for a partner he has already saved.

Three motorcyclists return to a game shop and an old man retrieves his grandson's prized cards as they zoom away, repairing the glass that broke with their entrance.

The great pharaoh hands them over to Marik Ishtar, and during the course of Battle City, the young Egyptian's darker half embraces the outside world and attempts to destroy the one who gave him the power that comes in three little cards.

Seto Kaiba stands in the sky, holding onto a helicopter, and after he announces a new contest for only one young man's ears, he flies away to meet a woman that he will give Obelisk the Tormenter to, and lose all of the knowledge she will give him in return about what has happened, and what will.

A young black-haired boy remembers his hate, remembers how his grandfather was run out of business by another's, how the one known as Yugi Mutou destroyed his dreams of dice, dreams that have already come true, and will never again, until he is beaten by his own game.

A white-haired man uses the magic of a golden eye to rip two apart, reviving one from the darkness as the duel continues.

The late-night talks, the invisible conversations between classes, the touches of an incorporeal hand floating on his shoulder – they all erase themselves, never to happen again, and the bond between the two partners grows looser. Dimmer. They drift.

They both know that they will start out as nothing; having nothing, being nothing. One will take a puzzle, the one thing that connects them, apart, and the other will be locked in darkness for the next three thousand years, until he awakens as a pharaoh and seals himself again to postpone the battle with the dark being that has already come.

They know they will forget this. They know it is madness, to try and remember. They try anyway, and as they grow younger, a little bit of each other stays with them, and they keep it close while time erases what has happened.

"For what it's worth, it's never too late," the younger says to his spirit one night, as rain is sucked from the ground and races up to the sky. "Or too early. There's no time limit. You can change or stay the same. There aren't any rules to this thing. You've started, and you've probably made the best of it all, and you're probably proud of the things you've done. I wouldn't know. And I suppose neither would you. But if you're not, then that's what this is for. That's why you're here, I think. To see if you have the strength to start all over again."

There's a double-edged comfort in these talks, knowing that nobody else really knows. About this, about him – about them.

And it's all gone; all of it disappears, when the younger of the two one day takes the largest piece from the golden puzzle, and the spirit is sealed back into it.

Despite having lost everything, or what he has once known as everything, even if he does not remember – despite it all, he continues on with his days normally. He goes to school. He is pushed against lockers. He is stolen from, abused, pushed around. A hall monitor demands his money. And at night, he works on dismantling his puzzle, what he will spend his nights on for the next seven years.

"Here you are, Yugi, m'boy," his grandfather says, those seven years later. "I've got something for you."

An eight-year-old Yugi gives his grandfather the pieces of the artifact, pieces he has worked on taking apart all this time, and they are wrapped in cloth and sealed back into a small golden box.

Yugi Mutou gives his grandfather a good morning hug, walks upstairs, climbs back into bed, and goes to sleep until the evening before.


	10. 12 – self-love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was narcissism, any way they looked at it. This was insane. And neither of them cared.

It was all going so simply until he noticed the differences.

This spirit – Yami – was taller, leaner, stronger. His legs were more elegant, shaped his body in a way Yugi's had yet to grow into. Whereas Yugi's fingers were rather short and simple, his other's were longer, more defined. There was a glint in his mahogany eyes, imagining things, horrible things, that Yugi would never dream of doing himself. His edges were sharper. His mouth was the tiniest bit wider. His jaw was straighter.

The more he noticed these little details, the more he found himself admiring him. Yami was everything he was not, after all, and everything he'd ever wanted to be. It was only now that he was wondering if he had wanted to  _be_  this man, wanted these features for himself, or if he merely  _wanted_ them – even if they weren't his own.

Yami knew the differences from the start. He – the King of Games, the Nameless Pharaoh, the Yugioh, because these names, of anything, he could remember as clearly as he could not anything else – knew that this boy's nature was much different than his own. Yugi Mutou had taken his spirit in when others would not; he had been embraced, befriended, and even named… He was different. Much different.

It did not take long for each of them to appreciate the other's differences. It didn't take long for them to embrace them. It didn't take long for them to realize that they worked well together, each of their strengths balancing the other's out, in ways that only Fate could have a hand in.

It certainly did not take long for them to begin to admire the other, not only for their contrasts, but for their similarities, as well. They saw things in each other that they knew no one else could or would ever, and this knowledge continued to draw them ever closer.

It also did not take long for them to realize the attraction. And in their partnership, they not only grew to appreciate the qualities that made the other who they were – but they grew to love their own, the ones they shared, and the ones that made them different beings; the ones that other people were just now starting to notice.

This was narcissism, any way they looked at it. This was insane. And neither of them found the will to care.


	11. 72 – perspective

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yami blinked, slowly, then curled his fingers into Yugi's as the grass tickled his skin.

"…Yami?"

"Yes?"

"What are you looking at?"

"The sky."

"…All right, I'll bite. Why?"

"When was the last time you ever really… looked at it?"

"I… don't remember."

"Exactly. We get so busy, so caught up in things and we're rushing around… we don't stop to notice the little things that make the universe what it is."

"You're not doing it right."

"Sorry?"

"Here. Lie down on your back."

"Why?"

"You look like you're waiting for the aliens to come. Do it like this." Yugi took his arm and gently led him down into the grass.

"…Oh. This is much nicer."

"Mmmm. Yeah, I used to do this all the time as a kid. I'd try to look for shapes in the clouds, too."

"Why would you do that?"

"I was a kid. I was curious." Yugi yawned, unconsciously leaning his head against the other's shoulder. "It's been a while since I've done this. It feels so relaxing."

Yami blinked, slowly, then curled his fingers into Yugi's as the grass tickled his skin. "Yeah," he said, letting out a breath of air. This was why he had stayed. This was what he'd wanted. To be able to look up at the blue sky as a mortal, and not look down on the world from it as a god…

Yugi's fingers curled back, and Yami smiled.


	12. 87 – biggest fear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You almost didn't exist. I'd say that's a very big deal."

"I almost wasn't born, you know."

Yami was dragged out of his thoughts and looked at Yugi now, sharply. "What?"

"You heard me."

"Yes, but… could you clarify?"

"There's not much to say. My body was very weak, and there were some complications during the birthing, but… it's not a big deal."

"You almost didn't exist. I'd say that's a very big deal."

"Yeah, but… here I am."

There he was.

Yami awoke that night in a cold sweat, sitting up, hands shaking over the covers. He brought one up to his face, inspecting it, watching it shiver; and after a moment's consideration, he then crawled over to Yugi's side, not caring, and wrapped an arm around the other. Just… to make sure.


	13. 68 – mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As long as you're mine…

"Ah…"

"Mmm."

"Oh,  _God_ , do that again."

"Mm… partner…" Atem's breathing was heavy, kissing every inch of Yugi he could find, warm lips against hot skin, fueling the fire, and making Yugi fall even deeper. "You're mine. You know that, right?"

Yugi answered with a moan.

They came together, panting, sweating; Atem rested his forehead heavily against the other's collarbone as Yugi's chest rose and fall, arms still clutched tight around the Egyptian.

When he came back down, Yugi wasn't sure what to think about had been said. Their relationship was based off of partnership, equilibrium – not declarations of "he's mine" and "you belong to me." Yugi would gladly stay loyal to Atem, forever, and if that constituted as being "his" then he would be fine with it, as long as…

 _As long as Atem was_ his _._

Atem responded by kissing his fingertips, one by one, as he smirked; and Yugi, unaware that their mental connection had been transmitting these thoughts to the other, sighed, smiled, and was pressed deeper into the bed.


	14. 80 – warmth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> His favorite color was navy blue.

His favorite color was navy blue.

Yugi doesn't know why, but the pharaoh had absolutely loved that shade. He had probably just known that it made him look good. He hadn't looked half bad in the black leather, either – but Yami had really loved that Domino High uniform. He had been one of the few that could pull a high school uniform off while still maintaining an air of dignity and authority.

Yugi frowns unconsciously now, pulling the jacket tighter over his torso.

All of his clothes smell like the pharaoh now; musky, sandy, and  _warm_ , with a hint of cinnamon. The spirit had worn most of his closet, at one point or another, so that was to be expected. Slipping on the blue jacket almost tempts Yugi into falling into nostalgia and bittersweet memories from the past, thinking back on when _Yami's_  arms had filled the sleeve holes, when  _Yami's_  warm body had been covered by this jacket…

But he doesn't reminisce, doesn't shed tears; he only takes comfort in this lingering warmth now, clinging to the blue jacket like a lifeline, a memento of a pharaoh that had once promised to forever cover his partner.


	15. 84 – make-up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It had been three weeks, and Yugi was doing fine. Better than fine. And he certainly didn't want to hear Yami say he was sorry.

It had been three weeks, and Yugi was doing fine. After all, Yami was the one that broke up with him over the phone. The  _phone_. Any decent guy would at least have had the courtesy to break up in person. I mean, really.

This was what Téa was telling him, at least, as they walked home from school at three-thirty in the afternoon, rambling on about how Yami was totally a selfish jerk, and kissing an aloof guy like him would be like kissing a rock anyway; Tristan chimed in occasionally, mentioning his aura of superiority that the guy seemed to drag everywhere.

"The guy had  _bitchin'_  hair, though," Joey said thoughtfully. "Not even kidding. It was awesome. No offense, Yugi, but his just had more  _umf_."

Téa hit the blonde in the arm as Yugi laughed, then stopped – as he saw Yami, standing across the street, in the middle of the park. Staring. Waiting. For him. Of course.

"I'll talk to you guys tomorrow," Yugi said distractedly, walking over. He could vaguely hear Téa telling him to just ignore him, but Yugi didn't, and was soon standing a meter away from Yami in the park under the giant oak.

"Yes?"

"I…" He looked uncomfortable. Well, good.

"If you don't have anything to say, I'm going to go home. Just don't start stalking me, okay? I don't want to end up on a therapist's couch spouting off one of those creepy ex-boyfriend stories." He was halfway through turning around, back to his friends, when a gentle arm stopped him.

"No, Yugi wait. Please." A breath. "I'm sorry. And I know how lame that sounds, and how bad this looks. It's just… I was kind of forced into breaking up with you."

Yugi's expression did not soften. "Forced," he repeated bluntly.

"Look, it's just – my parents – " Yami ran a hand through his already messed hair, frustrated at how the words weren't coming easier than they should. "They just… don't really understand. But I don't want to limit myself to them."

"So you changed your mind?"

"Yeah."

Still. "That doesn't make what you did right."

"I know." Yami frowned at the ground. "And as soon as I realized that, I also realized I didn't really have the right to confront you, even to say sorry. But I came, because I'm selfish, and a jerk, and…"

"…and a selfish jerk. Yeah, I know." Yugi sighed. "All right. Let's try it again."

His head lifted. "You're serious?"

"Yeah. No promises, and I doubt it'll work in the long run, but… sure, why not. But I can't go over to your house again. Your roommate creeps me out."

"Bakura?" He thought for a moment. "Yeah, I suppose I can see why he would. All right."

"Also, my friends… don't really like you." They began walking back together, to the friends across the street. "Except for Joey. I have a feeling he'll be asking you to borrow your hair gel soon."

"It's natural, actually, though I know you won't believe it."

"You're right, I don't." Yugi sighed and smiled. "Good to have you back."

Yami looked at him, shocked and touched at the same time. "Good to be back," he murmured, and slung an arm around the other's shoulders as they stepped out from under the tree.


	16. 90 – nothing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I wonder what it must feel like to be able to reach back into your mind and find memories there, instead of merely darkness and a golden puzzle.

"So… that's it?" Yugi frowned. "You don't remember anything."

"Correct."

"You don't even know how you ended up here?"

"No." I lifted my head, looking around his darkened room, wondering how all of this had happened. "I don't."

"You have to remember something," Yugi pressed. "I mean, not consciously – but deep down inside your mind I'm sure you've got memories that are just locked up, for the moment. Right?"

"…Perhaps." I wish I could share his optimism. But I've roamed the confines of the Puzzle for too long now – I'm only just realizing how long it has been – and I know that there is no hope for me. Not in sight, at least.

"Hey," Yugi said. I turned back to look at him: a hand extended, barely touching my own incorporeal one. He's looking up at me with something in his eyes that I haven't seen in a very long time. I believe it's called gratefulness. Perhaps even adoration. "I'm  _really_  glad you're here."

I take him in for a moment, observing his expression to see if he could be lying. No. He's sincere. Nobody has been as honest with me as he's been over the past year. I know that by now.

"Me too," I say softly, and I wonder for a moment what it must be like for him. I wonder what it must feel like to be able to reach back into your mind and find memories there, instead of merely darkness, a golden puzzle, and empty nothings. I know I have a past. But I also have a future. It's held in the hands of a boy with a smile. And knowing that is, perhaps, enough for now.


	17. 08 – resolutions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I'm your partner. It's going to take a hell of a lot more than destiny to keep me away from you."

I stare at him, mouth partially open in a shocked look that my face isn't used to expressing. "Are you serious?"

Yugi looks back at me, amused. "Yami, I am the vessel of a three thousand year-old spirit just because I solved some ancient puzzle. Ever since I've finished it I've been dragged into dark game after dark game so frequently that it's grown as familiar to me as brushing my teeth. After being bullied and alone for fifteen years of my life, I have actual friends and acquaintances at school. And my best friend is an Ancient Egyptian pharaoh. If that doesn't tell you that I'm serious, I don't know what will."

"Yugi – partner…" I can't help but stare. I know it's against bad etiquette, but he is just saying all the things I'd never expected, all the ones I'm not sure if I want to hear. "This will be dangerous. I don't know if I want to risk it, so if there's a chance that you might – "

"Lose my soul?" Yugi huffs out a laugh. "Look, we've been through it all before. I'm not leaving you. I know it'll be dangerous. I'm not going to blindly wander into something bigger than I am without preparing myself for it first." Yugi gives me a look. "I'm your partner, aren't I? I'm coming to Egypt with you. I'm going to help you get your memories back."

It takes me a moment, but finally, I smile. "Yes, you are. I… thank you, Yugi."

Yugi gives me an odd look that I'm not quite sure how to decipher; like I'm a puzzle he has yet to figure out, but damn if he never gives up. "…I don't like being left behind," he says finally, a confession. "And you know, if you left without me, I'd probably just follow anyway." His posture changes now, determination setting in his eyes. "Nothing you can say will make me sit back while you risk your life for the umpteenth time, you know? We're in this together." A lopsided grin. "Sorry, but it's going to take a hell of a lot more than destiny to keep me away from you."

And I can't help but laugh.


	18. 07 – hardest truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Falling in love always required a leap of faith, but nobody had ever guaranteed a soft landing.

There was the initial moment of shock.

"I…"

"No, that's fine. Really, don't say anything," Yami says, stopping Yugi before he could continue saying – saying what, he didn't know. "I just wished for you to know. I don't require anything more."

Yugi blinked as the other began to walk out the door. "Wait – where are you going?"

"Out."

"Out?"

"For a walk. I'll be back before dinner, partner. I'll see you then."

"W… wait!" Yugi yelled, stepping closer. "You don't just get to say that and then leave. Don't I get a chance to react? I want to… I want to talk to you about this."

A sigh. "I have to leave, Yugi."

"No, please, just hear me out." Yugi swallowed. This must be what it felt like to hold his heart on his sleeve, just as Yami had. The suspense, not knowing if that parachute would open as you stood on the top of the cliff. "I've… never thought of you that way before."

"I know. It's all right. You don't have to say anything else. I'll see you later."

"No, I – wait –  _damnit_ , I – " Yugi tugged at his hair, looking at the ceiling with a frustrated glance. "I don't know what I'm trying to say, but… if you could give me a moment, I'd really appreciate it, because I just… my mind's so confused and jumbled, but I know there's something in it, and I think I should tell you…"

Yami's attention was caught. He paused, hand still on the doorknob, and turned his head; he was still looking at the floor, as if just waiting for the rejection.

Time to jump off the cliff, Yugi mused. But it was then that he realized he wasn't standing on top of the cliff – he was in midair already, falling fast. "I… okay, I know this is going to sound rich, coming from me, but… I can't exactly say I've never ruled out the possibility of… you."

Yami's brow furrowed. "Me?"

"Yeah." Yugi swallowed, concentrating on his face, the way those eyes watched his own. "Even though it used to seem so wrong, ever since you got a body it's been… different. I thought I was the only one hiding something. And I'm sorry, because…" Yugi looked up at him, near desperation, and nervous; nervous about this confession and what a hypocrite he was being and how this would end up and if it would hurt when he hit the ground after his parachute didn't open.

Falling in love always required a leap of faith, but nobody had ever guaranteed a soft landing.

"…Well, because I've taken you for granted far too long. I've only just realized that. You've been so upset lately and I didn't understand why. And I've made you unhappy, I can see now, because I've denied what I was feeling while you accepted it – "

"Partner."

" – which is so stupid of me, of course I should've noticed something and taken it for what it was, even though I'm not used to feeling like this because this is the hardest truth I've ever had to recognize and – "

"Partner, stop."

And he did.

Yami took a breath and a step closer. "I never thought I'd be the one to say 'I love you.' You know it's not in my character. But I figured you, as my other, would understand. And I know you do. That is all I wish for, and I'm content."

Yugi blinked. "You don't… want anything more?"

"No." He looked confused for a brief moment. "You expected me to wish for you to return my feelings?"

"…I wasn't sure. Usually, when someone offers him or herself to someone, they're asking the other for… acceptance. Or love in return. Or a date."

"I do not need those things," Yami said. "I just need for you to know."

He didn't need those things. Yami didn't need those things to love him. That was enough for Yugi to know how much he did in return.

"But… would you be…" Yugi swallowed. "Would you be opposed to them, if they were offered?"

Yami's eyes locked into his, testing his sincerity, for a frozen second. Finally, "…No. I can't say that I would."

"Really?"

"…I'm not sure." Yami looked hesitant. "I've never done this before. Love has always been a risk for me. I am… afraid that it will not work out."

"But what if it does?"

Yugi smiled at him. And for the first time in months, Yami smiled back.


	19. 82 – ghosts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Monsters are real. Ghosts are real, too. They live inside us. And sometimes, they win.

Maybe there's a logical explanation for this. Then again, maybe there isn't. That's just it; I'm going crazy. There  _is_  no other explanation.

 _It's a demon, or a bad spirit, or an evil ghost. How can I fight that?_

Maybe it came from all of the Stephen King novels I've been reading. Maybe it's a side effect of my head being knocked around by bullies so many times that it started to screw with some important lobes, or one hemisphere of my brain started shifting around. Maybe this is one of the side effects to me being a premature birth, that my mind didn't fully develop or something, and this is what happens as a result.

 _But I'm not crazy._

I'm sick of 'maybe's – I want a decent answer. But I can't figure it out on my own, and I can't go to anyone with this.  _There's something inside me._  How do I even begin to explain that?

 _There's something inside me. Something cruel and vicious that's killing other people. I can't control it. I don't know why it's here or why it's doing the things it is._

It hasn't done anything bad to me – physically, anyway. It's scared the living daylights out of me, but I haven't ever talked or communicated with it, and I don't intend to start now. This spirit has killed… so many. I don't want to start counting. I don't want to be next.

 _Did I bring this upon myself?_

I'll just drop unconscious, randomly, wherever – in the street, in an arcade, at school. Anywhere.

 _Is this punishment for something?_

And then I'll wake up drenched in blood.

 _I don't want to end up in an asylum._

Sometimes I hallucinate. Sometimes I see the blood still on my hands when I've already rubbed my skin raw.

 _I'm not crazy. I promise._

Sometimes my shadow reaches out from the wall and tries to touch me.

 _I'm not._

Sometimes I let it.

 _Monsters are real. Ghosts are real, too. They live inside us. And sometimes, they win._


	20. 14 – frustration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "If you need saving from your joke of a disaster date, I'll be over here."

"Horrible test Roush gave us the other day, wasn't it?"

Yugi looked up from his coffee and blinked, startled. "Excuse me?"

"The exam. It was horrible, wasn't it?"

Yugi looked around, seeing nothing to distract him from communicating with the inevitable, and finally leaned forward to Atem, muttering, "I'm kind of waiting for someone, Atem."

"Right," he said dismissively, smirking, then continued. "Of course, you, being you, were probably the only person prepared for it. Well, maybe you and that Ryou kid."

Yugi frowned. "Waiting for someone as in, I'm waiting for a date. Could you… I don't know, leave?"

"Personally though, I think if you don't know it beforehand from her prattling in class, there's not much you can do, so I opt out of studying."

"Leave as in go away. Please. I'm waiting for someone."

"So how did you do?"

Yugi sighed, resisting the urge to roll his eyes and press his fingers to his temples, as he attempted to deal with this new level of frustration. She was already a few minutes late – not by fault of her own, he was sure, but added that Kaiba had dumped a shiny new Duel Disk prototype sketch to be analyzed and drafted into a report that morning, his car keys had mysteriously vanished in the washer, and Joey had skived out on paying for lunch today, forcing him to empty out his wallet – he just wasn't in the mood.

"What are you doing?" he finally asked.

"Making small talk." Atem raised one side of his mouth into a more defined smirk. "First I say something stupid and unimportant, then you say something responsive and dull, and after a few minutes of this we delve into the Real Conversation."

"Yamino," Yugi warned.

"Chilly weather we're having, isn't it? Your turn."

Yugi did not know how to handle this situation. Atem Yamino was not one to be persuaded once had made up his mind, and he was not afraid of toeing or crossing any lines to get what he wanted. But Yugi was not going to engage in small talk with him. He knew what happened to you if your date catches you talking to Atem Yamino, or even if Yamino is merely within sight range. Suddenly your date is just another girl at the coffee shop who has no interest in you and is dedicating her affections to the person sitting opposite your table, the person currently grinning at you as if he's reading you, and it's only a matter of time before you crack and fall to his charms. That's what happened.

"Atem," Yugi said, quietly, "I really like this girl. Please go away."

"Personally, I think we could use some snow because I've been meaning to stuff some down Bakura's pants, but so long as it doesn't rain like last week I think I can live with the cold." He nodded to Yugi. "Now you say something about politics, or the color of the tablecloth, or something equally interesting."

"Yamino, can we have this conversation another time?"

He raised an eyebrow at this, still smiling. "Another time? When? Tonight? Tomorrow?"

"An unconfirmed time in the future."

"The near future, then?"

"Fine, whatever. Just go,  _please_?"

"All right, I'm leaving." And thank God, he was. Atem stood from the table and pointed. "If you need saving from your joke of a disaster date, I'll be over here." He motioned toward a table across the shop, conveniently close enough to keep an eye on him and watch how his date went, but fortunately not near enough to be able to hear any conversation. At least that was something.

"Right, thank you. Bye."

As he left, Yugi, exhausted already, tilted his head back, closing his eyes. He was looking forward to this, now, after the day he'd had. A tiny, cozy restaurant tucked into the middle of downtown Domino, a wide window allowing him a view of the city life, a warm coffee cup in his hand, and a lovely girl coming to meet him.

Yugi gave a sigh of relief and sagged in his chair. He proceeded to sit back and wait. And wait… and wait…

But after forty minutes, he was done waiting; it was getting dark, his cup was empty, and it was rough facing the truth, but he was left with no other option. He had been stood up. After the day he'd had, not to mention the sight of Atem Yamino openly flirting with one of the cashiers as if to further rub salt in it, the only thing Yugi felt up to doing was crawling back home and sleeping for two days.

She hadn't shown up. Why hadn't she shown up? Why had he known that conversing with Atem Yamino was a sure-fire way to make sure this ended in a disaster?

"I'm sorry."

Yugi looked up. "No, you're not."

Atem shrugged and put down two more cups of coffee, one for each of them. He took a seat beside Yugi and laid an arm around his shoulders; Yugi found himself too depressed to shrug it off. "Sure I am. You must feel awful." He paused. "If she's run off to someone else, just tell me who, and I'll make sure he wakes up tomorrow underwater."

Yugi shook his head, halfway to laughing. If he hadn't known any better, he'd've said that Yamino had planned this. But he did know better, and he knew he couldn't push the blame onto his shoulders, so he sighed, "Not now, Yamino."

" _Au contraire_ , I think now's an excellent time," Atem replied briskly, tilting his head back and downing a large swig of coffee.

Yugi looked down at the table cloth. Pale lilac. That was pretty weird.

"Odd choice in color for a table cloth, don't you think?" he said finally, then reached out and took the coffee Atem had purchased for him in his hand. "Your turn."


	21. 88 – warning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Last warning," Yugi said. "I'm giving you until the count of three. One… two…"

Yugi fixed himself a cup down in the kitchen, then wandered back upstairs to the bedroom.

During his absence, Yami had proceeded to take over the rest of the bed, one tanned arm thrown across the sheets, head pressed deep into the pillow. The bedspread had tangled itself around his waist, leaving his bare back displayed clearly for anyone to see.

Yugi switched the mug to his other hand, balancing carefully, before reaching down to shake his shoulder. "Rise and shine, Yami. We need to open up the shop; Grandpa's out of town this week, remember?"

A groan. "Too early," Yugi managed to hear between the muffled words pressed against the pillow. "Come back later."

"Sorry, but that's not happening." Yugi put his fingers against Yami's skin, pressing gently in a soft poke against his ribs. Yami frowned a bit and swatted him; his hand closed around his wrist. Idly, his fingertips graced Yugi's pulse, lingering against the soft skin there. Yami pressed his face deeper into the pillow, wiggling closer.

"C'mon, seriously, Yami," he said. "Let's go."

"Urrghhh." His face arose from the depths of sleep and he looked up at Yugi, lashes dark over his eyes. His mouth was sleep-softened, the corners pouting. He tugged at his wrist. "Come back to bed. We've got enough time."

"No, Yami, wait a minute, we can't – "

"Oh, come on." An obvious tone suggested that Yami was grinning into the sheets. "How can you resist after that whole 'sacrifice my Afterlife to stay on Earth with you' thing?"

"Last warning," Yugi said. "I'm giving you until the count of three and then I'm going to pull those sheets off you. One. Two – "

A firm yank from Yami's arm pulled him down onto the bed with a yelp; Yugi held the mug high above his head. Yami threw an arm around his waist. "Whoopsy daisy."

Yugi sighed, smiling despite himself, and held the mug steady as he could as Yami gathered him to his chest, fingers twining into his clothing. The bed depressed with the new weight. "Careful," Yugi said. "Coffee's hot."

Progress: he lifted his head off the pillow. "Coffee?" He took a long whiff of that thick smell, mouth parting open. He wound himself closer to Yugi, rising up onto his elbow.

Yugi held the mug out of reach and Yami made a protesting noise in his throat. "That's right," he said, teasing it out. "And I've got a whole pot brewing downstairs, just for you."

Yami considered this, blinking slowly then frowning a bit; his eyebrows drew to a point. His cheek was wrinkled where he'd slept on it. "I see." He fell back against the pillows. "Wake me when it's fully brewed, please. Thank you."

"Oh, no." Yugi slipped out of his grasp, sliding down to the edge of the bed and rising off of it. Yami felt for him, fingers passing over the empty sheets. "If you want that coffee, you're coming with me."

Yami made himself comfortable, thinking. "Coffee first," he finally decided. "Then, whatever you like."

"Three," Yugi said, and yanked the covers free.


	22. 10 – home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It had been four years; Yugi was now an Egyptology student, two inches taller, and still the reigning world champion. Still the Yugi Mutou he left behind.

Ishizu hadn't been very specific in her instructions. He had been crafted a new body, his spirit risen from the depths of the Afterlife, and the only words he received from her were, "Your plane leaves two days from now on December 22, Yami Mutou," with the faintest hint of a smile.

Marik and Odion had filled him on the grittier details. It had been four years since he'd died; Yugi was now in a university, but was currently spending his winter vacation back in Domino with his friends and aging grandfather. He was an Egyptology student, had grown two inches since his senior year in high school, and still competed in various Duel Monsters tournaments that he was invited to. Still the reigning world champion. Still the Yugi Mutou he left behind.

The pharaoh didn't enjoy airplane trips, and was more than happy to switch seats with the young woman to give up the view next to the window. He spent the entire flight sleeping, or pretending to, wondering how much had changed and how much hadn't in his time away.

Perhaps Yugi wouldn't even want to see him again. He had his own life now, after all. He might not have room for the pharaoh in it. He might have forgotten him, or their time together, or aspects about him…

His hand clenched the envelope: a letter from Ishizu to Yugi and enough money to pay for a cab to get him to the game shop.

No, but they were partners. Yugi would remember him, of course he would; just like he himself had remembered Yugi. If the Afterlife was filled with anything, it was filled with memories, and the people to whom they belonged. But he didn't want to deal with his old memories – the pharaoh wanted to make new ones with the only one who had been willing to sacrifice his own to assure him good company for as long as he was welcome. He had been the only one that offered.

Newly-christened Yami Mutou stepped out of the Domino airport terminal and started heading home.


	23. 40 – heat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He laughed, drawing closer as Atem kissed a long trail up his throat, whispering silly things; Yugi twined his fingers into his hair and smiled into his mouth.

He managed seven long, deep, even strokes; Atem bore down upon him, over him.

"Atem," Yugi murmured, arching upwards, pulling at his shoulders, tighter and closer. Beneath his palms, the pharaoh's skin is warm, flushed, sweaty. Slicked with heat, his muscled tensed and rippled, bunching.

"Atem," he said, "I – "

He placed a graceless kiss to Yugi's jaw, into the soft hollow there; mouth open, lips warm, teeth scraping gently, tongue flicking against his skin. A hand traveled down to his hip, gripping; it slid down Yugi's thigh, firm and smooth, and hitched it up to move it higher.

"Atem," he said again, and he rolled his hips again, rolled in deep. Pressed down, in, closer, tighter. "Oh," Yugi said, and he did it again. Atem's fingers on the back of his thigh, mouth hot and breathy against his throat, shoulders steadily shifting beneath his palms – all of it came so easy, so natural, like running water.

Yugi rose up against him, nails digging in, legs tightening, dragging him down. Atem nuzzled his jaw, the tender spot where his throat met his neck, and followed it up, slowly, delicately, to the joint behind his ear –

"Atem," he said, "Atem, please, I can't – would you –  _please_." Yugi closed his eyes and breathed. His lips were dry, tongue not working properly in the heat. "I need you to –" He frowned, aching. "I need –" but he lost it.

Atem nipped at his earlobe, dragging it gently through his teeth. In his ear he exhaled, his breath gusting, hot. "Ai-bou," he said, each syllable being dragged out slowly. "Use your wor-rds."

Yugi smiled a bit against Atem's jaw, lips pressed to his skin; he grew still, enjoying it, feeling the other pull in and out as Atem hid his own laughter in his hair.

" _Mmmmph_." A bit harder, this time, almost painful. "Sorry."

"No, you're good," Yugi breathed out, eyes half-closed, unable – or unwilling, it felt the same – to open them fully in the warm, humid atmosphere between them.

Atem's hips stuttered; he fell out of rhythm.

"Oh, hello," he said. "That has never happened before. Let me try again –" and Yugi threw his head back, laughing, flush against him.

He laughed still, thighs drawing up closer as Atem fit within him, and he kissed a long trail up his throat, whispering silly things; he rocked again, then again, and again, each stroke driving a line of heat rolling up his spine, and Yugi twined his fingers into his hair and smiled into his mouth.


	24. 46 – healing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yami reached the doorway, leaning against it; he stumbled, and almost fell, but didn't.

Yami reaches the doorway, leaning against it; he stumbles, and almost falls, but doesn't.

His hand is shaking; five minutes ago it had been wrapped around the guy's throat, squeezing, willing to go all the way just because he had been so  _mad_ , and almost would have if he hadn't remembered Yugi waiting for him back home – Yugi, who always had to make him promise he wouldn't do anything rash –

The back of his head is sore and throbbing. He knows, if he would reach up to touch it, that his fingers would come away wet, but he doesn't because maybe if he can get inside, quickly, Yugi won't notice –

The door opens before he can even get the key in the lock.

Yugi looks at him, taking in his image. Yami knows he must be quite the sight: after the fight, and he had just gone out for a drink – he was still drunk, hell – and getting mugged in the alleyway had just been the icing on the cake. There's someone else's blood on his hands and in his hair, bruises and dirt covering the exposed skin. He hadn't meant to come back like this. It isn't his fault. He had just gone out for a drink.

But Yugi doesn't say anything. He takes Yami's arm and leads him into the house, closing the door gently. It's cool inside, and here, it soothes Yami's racing heart and blood pressure. He can feel himself calming down from the skirmish, can feel himself becoming more lucid and more aware of the fact that he owes Yugi and apology…

"Yugi…"

"Not now."

These were the first words they've spoken to each other since Yami stormed out of the house four hours before, and Yugi doesn't even sound angry. But the tone in his voice doesn't allow argument; it's still stern and cold, making it clear that the discussion that needs to take place won't do so here.

He knows he deserves Yugi's anger, but some rebellious part of him, the part that still believes he was right in their fight from earlier, wants to continue their argument from before. But Yugi takes him upstairs.

Up to the bathroom. Yugi closes the door and turns to Yami, avoiding his eyes, face blank. His hands find the edges of Yami's torn and bloody shirt, lifting the edges and pulling it over his head. Yugi's fingers brush over the bruises on his torso, the scrapes and cuts and old scars that never quite healed. His touch lingers, tingling, and Yami squirms; their reconciliation wasn't supposed to go like this.

He sees Yugi reaching for the ointment lying on the countertop and feels a flush of irritating embarrassment at the other's assumption that he might need help doing such a simple task. "Yugi – " he feebly protests, attempting to cling to what little dignity he might still have.

Yugi looks up at him. "Do you think you can do it all by yourself?" he asks, not sarcastically. He's staring at him with gentle eyes – tired, saddened, gentle eyes, and Yami is struck for a moment by how calmly Yugi is taking all of this in. The guilt is spreading inside.

"…No," he finally admits. "I don't think so."

"What did they do?"

"They had a few knives. I think they just wanted to knock me around a bit." Yami swallows and hisses as the cold ointment on Yugi's fingers touch his longest cut, one that he couldn't reach. "But I was… mad, and I didn't keep a lid on my temper, so I started fighting back, and…"

"Did anyone die?" Yami is disgusted with himself after hearing the calm tone with which Yugi asks this; of all the things he's done, all the sins that he's committed, Yugi must be used to this kind of thing.

"No. I just… knocked a few of them out and the rest of them fled. So did I," he says around a tight throat.

Yugi nods, as if this is acceptable, and moves to a large bruise surrounding his collarbone. His fingers begin to spread the lotion on the skin, still light to the touch, as if he's afraid of hurting the other.

"Yugi," Yami says, finally, and his voice chokes it out. "I'm s – "

"What is it, Yami?" Yugi looks up at him, meeting his eyes angrily. "What could you possibly say that I haven't heard before?"

He's too shocked to say what he meant to; he had known that Yugi was still suffering under the lingering hostility and frustration from before, but thought that perhaps, if he had pretended everything was okay for a while…

"I just wanted to apologize," Yami says firmly, meeting his stare head-on. "I know I was wrong. You… you deserve to be happy, even if it leads you away from Domino, and it was selfish of me to cling to you and try to keep you here. I'm sorry."

Yami swallows, unsure of where all of this is coming from, but determined to get it out anyway. "I won't be happy with it, but I'll live," he says, which is true enough, so at least it's not a total lie. "I'll accept whatever you do, Yugi. If you want to go to this university in America… You know how to take care of yourself. I'm sorry."

Yugi is quiet for a few minutes; Yami, uncertain if he will even answer after a while, takes the tube of ointment and begins to slowly clean himself up.

"It won't be a problem anymore," Yugi says quietly. "Me going off to America, I mean. I didn't get accepted."

Yami's hands freeze.

"I've been accepted to other places here in Japan, so it'll be okay. It'll be easier for you to visit, not to mention much cheaper for all of us, if I stay in the country. I just… really wanted to go to that school." He shakes his head, as if this would clear his head of all previous desires to attend the university. "But it's okay, it's fine."

"I'm sorry," Yami says finally. "I know how much you wanted to go."

"It's fine," Yugi repeats again, a bit stronger this time, and he takes the lotion once more. "I'll be fine. Turn around, let me see the back of your head."

Yami knows that under normal circumstances he would have insisted that he didn't need all of this fuss; but Yugi seems determined to take care of him in light of recent events, as if he needs something to do with his hands. So he turns and lets Yugi's fingers work their way around his scalp, touching and trying not to poke too hard, moving strands of hair away from the wound to inspect it further.

"…Do you know if I'll be okay?" Yami asks hesitantly.

"Oh, it's healing," Yugi sighs. "It's just a scrape. Head wounds just bleed a lot more than other parts of the body; the skin isn't as tough here. But you'll be fine. It's stopped bleeding. You don't feel delirious, right? Turn around."

Yugi inspected Yami's eyes, explaining that he's staring into them to make sure the 'puu-pils' are the same size; Yami doesn't know what this means, but he stares back into Yugi's own, taking note of their exhaustion.

"No concussion. You'll be fine."

"You should get some sleep," Yami says as Yugi pulls back. "It's almost midnight."

"I'll be fine. There's nothing going on tomorrow; I'll just sleep in." Yugi gets up to leave, motioning toward the ointment. "Use that whenever the cuts start to hurt again. They'll be fine within a few days."

Yami grabs the tube but doesn't give these words any more thought. "What could you possibly be staying up for?"

"I've got some forms to fill out for the university," he says as he moves into his bedroom. The desk light is on, illuminating sheets of official-looking papers that Yami can't even glance at without feeling tired. Is this what Yugi's been doing all of these nights? So dedicated, and still rejected from that American college…

Yami moves over to turn off the light. "Do those later. You should get some sleep, partner."

"Yami," Yugi says, "they need to be done by next week."

"So you have a whole week to do them. You need your sleep."

Yugi almost looks annoyed, but then something in his expression softens. "I'll be okay, Yami. I just need to be kept busy. I need to do something with my hands. This is just how I deal with bad news."

Yami sighs quietly. "I just don't want you any more tired than you already are. How many hours of sleep are you getting? Five?"

"Four." Catching his look, he corrects, "Okay, four in a half. Six on a good day."

Before Yami opens his mouth to say "That's still too little," Yugi heaves out a sigh of his own and says, "But fine, I'll go to bed now." He looks at the other. "You just have to promise that you won't start running away on your own anymore. We're like violence magnets, both of us. I don't want to be worried for you like that again."

"…Deal."

After changing and climbing into bed, Yugi settles deep into the pillows as Yami stands on the desk chair to open up the skylight as an excuse to do something with himself. "It's nice like this," he explains. "Lets a breeze in. And you can see the stars."

There's a moment of silence. Yami doesn't know what to say next and knows he should leave, but… no, Yugi's right. He can take care of himself. All Yami needs to supply is the push to get him to the end.

He moves to leave the room, but Yugi's tired, amused voice catches him off guard from the darkness. "Oh, just stay, will you? I could use some company."

Yami turns back. "Sure?"

"Yeah, m' sure. Climb on in."

He does so, laying on his back on the edge of the bed, and Yugi rolls to his side, laying a hand on his chest. "Thanks," he murmurs quietly into his hair.

"For what?"

"I dunno. For everything."

Yami smiles at this, eyes still wide open. Yugi's breathing becomes quiet and patterned; before long he's asleep, nose in Yami's hair, as the other lays awake to hear the clock click to midnight and watch the stars glow dimly overhead.


	25. 81 – heartache

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He's tried everything. Warm milk, counting sheep, deep breathing, everything – but he can't get to sleep.

He's tried everything. Warm milk, counting backwards, bubble baths, counting sheep, deep breathing, reading his Calculus textbook, forcing himself to yawn – hell, he'd even turned on his radio to the Rest and Relaxation station before the repetitive, supposedly calming music had driven him mad and forced him to knock the stupid thing off his dresser.

But nothing's working, not now. The pharaoh's gone. The puzzle isn't swinging from his chair a few feet away. The only reason he hasn't broken down yet is because his heart is still in shock. As it is, he can still feel it sinking in, seeping through his cold stage of denial, threatening to wash away what little control he has.

Sighing, he gets out of bed, planning to make some warm cocoa downstairs in the kitchen. He needs to escape for a few hours, needs to delay facing reality and a future without him. As he steps out of the room, he noticed something on the floor: his high school jacket, the one that his other started tying around his shoulders when he decided he couldn't be bothered to wear it the normal way.

In a way, it is all he has. He picks it up and runs his hands over the soft fabric, a bit worn from use, and clutches it closer as he slowly moves back into his room.

And even though he knows it's sad and quite possibly masochistic, he climbs back into his bed and lays down, pressing his face to the jacket and breathing in whatever lingering scent the pharaoh might have left behind. The Téa in his head tells him that this self-indulgence will only make things worse in the morning, but he doesn't care.

He can't really find it in himself to care, not now, not tonight, when Atem is gone and the only reason he hasn't completely broken down yet is because his familiar scent is slowly making him drift off to sleep.


	26. 18 – honesty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "If you'll have me," he said quietly, "I'd very much like to stay."

It took him all of two seconds to realize that he'd made a mistake.

"Yami – " His voice cracked, and he cut himself off, reminding himself that that wasn't the pharaoh's name anymore and he had no right to call him that. "Atem…"

But the pharaoh had turned around already, still responding to the name they'd given him. "Partner?"

Yugi knew there was a lot to interpret in the way he spoke in that quiet voice, but he didn't feel up to deciphering it. Not now.

"Look, I – " he began, then stumbled and started again. "I just…"

The pharaoh turned around and started walking back. Yugi didn't look up; he could feel everyone behind him watching, listening. The ceremonial chamber was dead silent, his voice the only sound to be heard echoing through the room.

"I should've told you this sooner," he said, then realized how loud he sounded. This was something personal, he told himself, so he should lower his voice. But he found that he couldn't care. "But if you must go, I just – wanted to – "

Yami was silent, watching him with caring eyes. He was wearing that ancient pharaoh outfit, complete with the cape and gold jewelry flashing in the dim light. A crown circled his brown, highlighting sharp, aristocratic features. He looked exotic in the dark chamber, bright against the dreary stones.

Yugi kept telling himself that he didn't belong in this world.

"…just wanted to say goodbye properly," he finished softly. A part of him cringed at how incomplete it all still seemed; he should do it right, be completely honest. He shouldn't let things be left unmentioned.

Yami regarded him closely with soft eyes; then, in one movement, he swiftly reached out and pulled Yugi to him, burying ring-clad hands in his jacket. Yugi hugged tighter, clinging, his nose pushed into the soft, thick cloth of the cape around his neck. He tried to put his unsaid words into that embrace; he wasn't sure if it worked, but Yami seemed to understand.

"Does he have to go?" a pleading voice behind Yugi asked; he could recognize it as Tristan's, probably addressing the Ishtars. "He's… solid now, and all. I know he should go, but… is there any way?"

None of the Ishtars replied, but Yugi was unconcerned with this exchange in dialogue, for Yami was talking into his ear now. "I have guessed things might end this way," he said quietly. "Though I prayed they would not have to."

Yugi clung tighter, if possible. "I wish you…" He swallowed. "I just wish you could stay with us. With me."

The pharaoh was silent at this, and for a moment Yugi was afraid he had said the wrong thing. But he realized, as Yami's breath hitched, that he was just at a loss for words. "Yugi," he said suddenly, pulling back with a crease between his brows, the same one that came when he tried to solve a particularly difficult problem. "I do… wish that I could stay. With you."

Yugi would have been happy if he hadn't already been so miserable. "…Thanks for saying that."

He acknowledged this with a nod, using Yugi's words as a stepping stone for his next ones, still frowning a bit. "If… what you have said is honest…" Yami let out a frustrated breath, upset that the words weren't coming to him easier. He gathered himself, looking determined. "I was under the impression that you wanted me to go. No, please, listen," he said to prevent Yugi from interrupting. "Let me be honest. I thought if were gone, your life would be easier. And it will. I know that you care for me, but I believed that you, being the noble person that you are, would think my departure would be worth the safety of the world."

He continued, voice still more soft and more fragile than Yugi had ever heard it. "I… am a selfish person, partner. Far more selfish than you, who are a remarkably selfless person, could imagine. I do wish to stay. I wish to live in this world with you and our friends. If you… do not think it a worthwhile risk…"

By this point, Yugi felt as if his heart had stopped. Hardly daring to hope, he asked, "You'll stay…?"

It was a rare moment indeed when the pharaoh looked unsure of himself. "If you'll have me," he concluded, still quiet, "I'd very much like to."

Yugi couldn't seem to speak. His voice just wouldn't come. He closed his mouth, ready to nod, but all he could manage was a smile. A smile that tugged at the corners of his lips and was a bit watery, but was still an answer – and Yami smiled brilliantly back.

"Ishizu," Yugi's voice rang louder than he'd meant it to. The woman in question had been discussing something very fast and very foreign with her brothers, but she turned now, eyes wide and already searching, it seemed, for his decision.

Yugi tried to phrase his question carefully, but all that came out was, "Is it possible?"

She swallowed, looking from him to Yami and seemed, for a moent, to be at a loss for words. She swallowed, then questioned cautiously, "You're sure?"

Yugi nodded and he could tell Yami was holding his head proudly beside him.

Ishizu, who had closed her eyes at his affirmation, took a deep breath. She looked at the pharaoh once more before turning to Yugi, a soft expression on her face. "Yes. He can stay."

Duke's confused "What just happened?" was drowned out by loud cheers that erupted from the group standing at the bottom of the stairs. Joey seemed to have been following the conversation closely, exclaiming like a maniac, all dignity forgotten. Téa had her hands pressed to her face in silent celebration, tears in her eyes. Ryou and Tristan were trying to calm Joey down while attempting to hold in their own enthusiasm – and Mokuba was smiling broadly himself as Kaiba surveyed the scene with his usual stoic lack of expression, perhaps only broken by a slight twitch of his lips as he seemed to realize that he'd have more opportunities to beat his rival, after all.

Yami's voice reached him through the commotion, quiet in his ear. He was smiling as he said, "I think we ought to live happily ever after," and Yugi couldn't help but laugh, remembering those old childhood stories Yami must have been inspired by that Yugi had once shared with him, and he realized that they'd have plenty of time to share more. He was thinking all of this as he and Yami stood there, holding hands, smiling, smiling, and finding it quite hard to stop. "It should be hair-raising."

"And you'll keep trying to protect me," said Yugi.

"And you'll be far too nice to me," Yami replied, smirking.

"We'll see how it goes," Yugi said. At Yami's nod, he then squeezed one of his hands, and gently led him down from the platform to greet their friends.

He hadn't been completely honest, not yet. And he knew that he'd have to be eventually. But he also knew that he'd gather up the courage to tell him, one day. Soon. They had time.


	27. 09 – anything

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yami was starting to regret offering, but as long as Yugi was able to get some more sleep out of it, it was worth it.

Mathematics weren't really all that bad, Yami mused as he calculated the game store's latest incomes for the next financial report. Something simple was in the way the human brain could problem-solve; it was the same way he organized and used his Duel Monsters cards, the same way he came up with winning strategies each and every time. Math was like that. Math was simple and still complicated, endless with possibilities and still rigid with facts and figures.

One plus one would always equal two. Six squared would always be thirty-six. As long as you knew the concept and did the basic arithmetic properly, you would always reach the correct answer this time and every time.

It was getting late. Or perhaps it was already early. He had been working on matrices for the past hour and a half. He'd have to find out an easier way to solve multiple systems. Perhaps Yugi could get lend him one of his kaculaders, or whatever it was called, that he was always talking about. He said that it made solving math easier, and much less of a strain on one's mind, though Yami would bet his duel disk that figuring out how to work one might be harder than the actual problem.

The light over the table flickered. The kitchen was the only area in the house still illuminated, Yugi having gone to bed a few hours before, and Grandfather off on some dig in Egypt with Arthur Hawkins and his old college friends. Yami was starting to regret offering to do these calculations, but they had to be done, and as long as Yugi was able to get some more sleep out of it and they weren't  _too_  difficult, he supposed he could handle it.

The light bulb overhead went out for a moment before popping back on again. Yami would have glared up at it if he knew his eyes wouldn't have been irritated by the light. He deeply appreciated eklicity and would freely admit that it had many uses, but he wasn't sure it was as reliable as most people made it out to be. He'd have to fix the light in the morning. Making another note to talk to Yugi about it, along with that kaculader, Yami yawned and put his head down.  _Just for a few minutes,_  he told himself, resting his sore eyes.  _Just until your head feels better…_

The next morning, Yami woke up to find his cheek stuck to one of the papers. The flickering light in the kitchen was still on and there was a pen dangling loosely from his fingertips. With a yawn and a stretch, he sat up, irritated with himself, and wearily began to clean the table so he and Yugi could eat breakfast on it in an hour.

There was a new sheet of paper that hadn't been there the night before. He picked it up, curiously, and examined the words in neat black ink. It was Yugi's handwriting.

 _Joey + Kaiba equals many arguments where they threaten to throw each other_

Yami held down a snort. It seemed as if Yugi had gotten creative himself while he had been sleeping. He allowed himself a smile before continuing.

 _Tristan x Serenity equals motorcycle-riding nurses?_

With the way things were progressing between those two, Yami could definitely see that happening. He smirked and kept reading.

 _Bakura – Millennium Ring equals safe_

With a wince, he couldn't help agreeing.

 _Yami + kitchen equals inedible food_

He bristled at the jab, then remembered his last cooking disaster: it had somehow ended with tomato sauce on the ceiling, something Yugi's grandfather was still scratching his head about, and the three of them had ultimately been forced to order Chinese.

 _Yami + math + technology equals bad spelling (it's 'calculator' and 'electricity,' Other Me)_

Yami looked at the sheaf of papers that he had been scribbling on last night. To his horror, it appeared that he had written down his thoughts as they appeared in his head, complete with spelling mistakes.

 _Yami ( Yugi + Grandpa + Duel Monsters ) equals Game Shop equals Home_

Yami smiled at the last one. Further proof that math wasn't limited to numbers and figures alone; ever growing, ever expanding, infinite in possibilities. He could make an equation out of anything. Absolutely anything at all.

Yami added one of his own, then left the sheet where it was for Yugi to find.

 _Yugi + Yami equals partners_


	28. 89 – everything

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The name of this place escapes him at the moment – though he knows it's something familiar, something close to home.

I know two things for certain.

1\. I'm floating.

2\. It's really freaking dark.

But I'm trying to be okay with it, though frankly, it's freaking me out. Plus, it's boring. Part of me hopes this isn't the full package, because I'd have to come up with another game to keep from going mental.

There's a soft sound coming from up ahead, and just the faintest light, like an old television being turned on and warming up. The light reaches me enough for him to see that I'm in a boat on a river.

I hear water. Waves crashing. I hear birds. I hear the wind.

The boat is long and thin, drifting lazily on a river – the name of it escapes me at the moment, though I know it's something familiar, something close to home. Up ahead, I can see him, standing on the bank. With tall grace he's covered with gold, clothed in linen and gentle colors of an ancient people I dedicated my life to learning about.

"Partner," he greets, smiling at me when I'm within reach. "Thank you for showing up. What took you so long?"

"I took a detour," I say, grinning. It's getting brighter.

"That sounds interesting. I'd love to hear the story."

"If you'll believe it." I sigh, looking around, taking it all in. "So. This place…"

"Yes. It's quite a ride." He smiles again, wider. "Would you like to go again?"

"Maybe."

I'm not really thinking about that, about what happens next, or if anything does. All I know is what I'm feeling. I want to kiss him. After that, I don't know.

"What are you thinking about?" he says, laughing.

I smile. "Nothing."

The boat drifts to the glittering shore of its own accord. I take the pharaoh's hand and steps onto the bank. It's warm against my feet, and when I reach down, the sand comes up in my fingers loose and comforting.

Atem smiles. "Are you ready?"

"Sure."

"Are you really?"

"No," he says. "Not at all."

He grins wide then. It's like the sky can't take anymore and then it explodes, all particles and partner-particles, something new being born for a life that has just left the world – a whole universe in this space filled with yes and no and why not? Sparks flying, a zooming show of charged light that catches Atem's face as he smiles.

And there's nothing to say but wow. Wow. The same word backwards and forwards.

Atem sighs in happiness. "That's always my favorite part."

And I can see why.


	29. 91 – failure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Perhaps Joey would punch him again. He deserved it. Maybe it would bring back some feeling.

It wasn't the loneliness that really did him in. Though it did feel colder without Yugi around, like a part of his soul had been ripped away (and it really had, if he thought about it) and left a wide, gaping hole – Yami could handle that. It was a feeling he'd hoped he wouldn't have to experience again, not since the Puzzle connected the two of them – but he'd had three thousand years to feel lonely. He was used to it. He could handle it.

It wasn't even the guilt. Of course he felt bad. Of course he knew he would deserve it when Ammut swallowed his soul when he passed onto the next world. Hell, it's what he hoped for.

It was the sense of being wrong.

It was knowing that he wasn't as great as he had thought. As Yugi had thought.

Yugi had thought better of him.

And he had failed. He had failed himself. He had failed the cards. He had failed his friends.

He had failed Yugi.

All he had wanted – to Yugi, who had been brave enough to try to hold him back, wonderful enough to try to persuade him otherwise, selfless enough to sacrifice himself – all he had wanted was to prove to Yugi that he could do it. He  _was_  great, he  _was_  powerful, and he  _could_  beat Raphael and Dartz without help. He was the pharaoh. He could do anything.

He had wanted to show Yugi how strong he was, how he was better than he thought, but all – all he had been doing was proving how right he had been. How weak, how incapable he turned out to be. How little he could do on his own.

The train arrived. This was important, for some reason; he could notice Téa trying to get him aboard, and he followed her slowly, because he knew that Tristan would probably up and carry him if he did not comply. Or perhaps Joey would punch him again. But that would be fine. He would deserve it. Maybe it would bring back some feeling.

Yami climbed aboard, slow and awkward. Téa caught his elbow a few times when it looked as if he would fall over. He didn't thank her, or if he did, then he certainly didn't remember it. He could barely remember staring out of the window at nothing, the row number of the seat he was in, or the heavy weight of the Puzzle upon his chest; but he did remember the loneliness. He remembered the guilt. And he remembered the ugly, bitter sense of defeat.


	30. 27 – faith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yami has questions. And Yugi will do his best to satisfy them, no matter the answer.

"Partner.  _Partner._ "

Yugi, who had been building a go-cart with Duke to race underwater, was startled from his dream by the spirit's gentle voice. "Nnn – Yami?"

A pause. "Yugi. I'm… sorry, but I was…"

"Is something wrong?" Yugi asked around a yawn, his voice still soft as he woke up.

"Yes. No. There's – something outside."

"Something outside?"

"I don't know what it is. But it might be…"

"Dangerous?" Yugi was alert now, nearly jerking up. "What? What is it?"

"I do not know if it poses a threat. But here – come to the window."

Yugi rose from his bed, pushing aside the sheets to follow the spirit's nearly translucent body to the window. The room somehow seemed darker than it should have been; the skylight was covered with something, something thick and immovable that blocked out the moon's glow from above.

"Here," Yami said, gesturing outside. "There. What do you think that is?"

Yugi peered through the glass, looking for any sort of trouble, any sign of something that shouldn't be there. But the neighborhood was quiet, silent with sleep, covered with winter's gentle blanket of snow that they had probably received last night. All he found out of the ordinary was the neighbor's red van was missing from its driveway, but considering the folks next door were out of town to spend Christmas with their family in England, there was hardly anything to worry about.

"I don't see anything," he said honestly. "What's wrong?"

Yami paled at these words, obviously concerned that he might be the only one seeing the posed danger – or worse, that he was hallucinating. "Partner – it's everywhere. The… thick, white material – and it's growing, too. I have been watching for hours. There was not nearly this much at midnight."

Yugi nearly laughed with relief – but, seeing how concerned Yami was, decided that that would probably only serve to humiliate him even further with the explanation. Really, he should have known better. Why hadn't he explained snow before it came?

"Yami, it's okay," Yugi said, smiling. "It's snow. It happens every year. It's actually common during winter. It's okay."

"…Sn – what?"

"Snow. It comes with the cold weather. It's completely normal."

"…This is normal."

"Yes," Yugi said. "Do you remember how I explained rain to you in the spring?"

"Yes," Yami said, still concerned and confused, though the urgency from his voice was gone. "Rain is your name from water that falls from the sky. You told me that was normal as well, but – this is not rain…"

"No, but it is something similar," said Yugi, and Yami's brow wrinkled in further confusion. "Do you remember my explanation of water vapor and condensation?"

"I believe so. Water vapor – the moisture in the atmosphere. It gathers together and eventually grows heavy enough that it falls to the ground." He blinked. "Er – correct?"

"Yeah, that's right. Snow is pretty much the same thing, except – do you remember the seasons? Winter?"

"Winter is when it gets cold," Yami supplied. "The opposite of the greatest season, summer, which has heat and normal temperatures."

"Right," he said, grinning. "Well, snow is – well, it's just rain, really. Except winter makes rain so cold that instead of falling to the earth as water, it freezes and falls as snow. And it gathers on the earth. But it's harmless, really, it's just there. It's pretty to look at, though. And it messes up the school schedules."

Only one word of this seemed to have registered with the spirit. "Harmless?"

"Yes, completely harmless. It's fine. More than fine, actually; we'll probably get out of school today."

"…I see. I'm sorry for waking you."

Yugi recognized that tone. Yami had obviously felt concerned, concerned enough to wake him, and was now completely and utterly embarrassed that that it had been an overreaction to a completely normal phenomenon.

"It's okay," Yugi said immediately. "I'm glad you did. I should have explained this to you before so it wouldn't have shocked you when it came."

"It's not your fault, partner."

"But don't feel guilty for waking me, okay? And please don't be concerned about it, it's really normal."

"Normal," Yami repeated, looking out at the window again. "Right." He seemed much more subdued now, calmer, reflecting.

Yugi wasn't sure what to say.

"There are still many things strange to me in your world, partner," Yami said slowly. "I try my best, but sometimes it is hard. I hope you understand. And I thank you for explaining them. There are not many others that would take their time to do so, and fewer still that would not grow tired or frustrated with me. I appreciate it. And I hope these questions will come less and less frequently as time passes. I do not wish to be bothersome."

"You could never be bothersome," Yugi replied immediately and honestly. "I understand. I want you to feel comfortable in this world, or as comfortable as you can be – and I want to share what I know with you so you can feel welcome. I know it's… it's a strange world to come into, but I hope you don't feel weird about asking questions when you need to."

It was strange, talking about this. Yugi had taken on his role without question or qualms, sharing his world with Yami, explaining the technicalities and differences where he needed to as best as he knew how, but had never thought that Yami might be under the impression that he was only putting up with him because he had to.

Which couldn't be further from the truth.

"You are a very humble host, Yugi," Yami said suddenly. "If there is one thing in this world to count on, I believe it to be you."

In that moment Yugi saw a glimpse of what was lost, what the Millennium Puzzle, after three thousand years, still could not take away from him. The power was still there, the glory and the majesty of the great pharaoh was still lurking beneath the surface of this confused, wandering spirit that resided in a golden necklace… but shed the crown and the gold and he was only a man, a confused and curious and lonely being. The world had moved on without him, and he had been suspended in time, forever young, which little chance or opportunity for recovery. Yugi found it rather unfair that Yami had only a few questions and the world would not respond to, no matter how many times he may curse it and beg it and plead for answers that he had long been denied.

The universe had remained stubbornly silent, and, eventually, he had given up asking, for in his mind, no one answering meant that there was nothing or nobody there to do so. Here was a man whose core had been shaken, whose faith had been tested, who was still trying to figure out a  _why_ , with no direction or help at all from the stars above.

So Yugi knew to be honest. Yugi knew not to hide him from the truth. The idea to do otherwise had never crossed his mind; if they were to do this, this task that the world wanted of them, then they were going to do it right.

Whatever gods were up there certainly weren't helping. So Yugi took their position with grace, stepping up to Yami's side to explain and guide, as best he can, while he looked to the sky and hoped for the best.


	31. 39 – trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What wasn't said after the Ceremonial Duel.

You need to move on, aibou.

 

Yeah. Yeah, I know that.

I know it's hard. I'm sorry I have to leave so soon. It's your turn, now. You can do it.

I wanted you to have a new life… You never really got a chance –

Of course I did. I met you, didn't I? It's enough, aibou.

I wish we had more time. I don't want to keep going on my own.

We were always lucky. You'll be lucky again. You'll see. Just go. It's all right.

I can't.

It's all right. This has been a long time coming. You're the King of Games now. You'll be fine. Do everything the way we did it.

You have to be okay, Yami… I thought we were gonna make it out together.

I will be okay. And so will you. I think this is what I've been waiting for, really. I'm sorry I have to go. This is just where I belong.

Then I want to be with you.

You can't…

Please.

You can't. You have to carry the title.

I don't know how to.

Yes, you do. I've seen you. And I've said it before: you have the heart of a pharaoh.

I don't…

Yes, you do. It's inside of you. It was always there. I can see it. I can tell.

Just take me with you.

I can't. I can't bring my partner to death with me. I thought I could but I can't…

You said you wouldn't ever leave me.

I know. I'm sorry. You have my whole heart. You always did. You're the best of us. You always were. If I'm not here, you can still talk to me. You can talk to me and I'll talk to you. You'll see.

Will I hear you?

You will. You just have to practice. Just don't give up. Okay?

All right.

You'll be all right. You're going to be lucky, I know you are. Goodness will find you. It always has. It will again.

I'll talk to you every day. And I won't forget. No matter what.

You're going to be okay. Do you trust me?

Yes.

And I trust you. I believe in you. You'll do just fine.

Okay.

Okay. Goodbye.

Bye, Yami. I love you.

Oh, aibou, I know. I love you, too. I love you so much.


	32. 69 – yours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "My pillow woke up and left me alone and shivering in bed," Yami replied, grumpy. "What made you get up so early?"

Yugi was surfing channels when a large, grumbling mass of blankets sat on the couch beside him. He turned his head to find Yami's head poking out of the top, eyes narrowed in discomfort.

"What's wrong?" Yugi asked, not before a hand shot out of the blanket and attached itself around his arm as Yami pulled closer to him, tucked his head inside his shoulder, and breathed in deep.

"My pillow woke up and left me alone and shivering in bed," Yami replied, grumpy. "What made you get up so early?"

"I woke up for school and noticed that it was still snowing outside," Yugi replied, turning down the volume on the television set. "Apparently it snowed throughout the night, so there's a lot more than people had expected. I was just checking the local channels to see if school was canceled."

"And what's the verdict?"

"We're out today and tomorrow," Yugi said, pointing to the announcement on the screen. "There's no way they'll get the roads cleared for school today, and tonight it's expected to drop about twenty degrees, so the snow will probably freeze the streets by tomorrow."

"That's fantastic," Yami said dryly. "Come back to bed with me."

"It's so  _cold_  in there, though…"

"It'd be warmer with you in the bed, aibou."

"Are you planning on staying in bed all day?"

"I was planning on staying in bed until spring, but you've forced me out of hibernation early," he muttered as he stood up and started to shuffle back into his cave. "C'mon."

"Yami," Yugi said, "the day is yours. You can do whatever you want. You want to spend it sleeping?"

"Sleep isn't exactly what I had in mind," Yami replied as he took Yugi's hand in his and led him back into the room, ignoring the sounds of laughter Yugi left trailing behind them.


	33. 61 – would of

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I haven't painted in a while. And I've been thinking about Egypt ever since we went so I wanted to do something about it."

The carpet was stained with paint.

Yami blinked at the blue splotches on the otherwise clean, white carpet. "Aibou?"

"I'm up here!"

He followed Yugi's voice. Rather, as he discovered halfway up the stairs, he only needed to follow the spots of blue and black ink that splattered the floor and parts of the wall. He reached the second floor and found Yugi lying on the floor, newspaper spread out underneath him, with brushes in his hand and paint in his hair.

"Aibou…?"

"I haven't painted in a while. I thought maybe I could get back into it," Yugi told him. "I've been thinking about Egypt ever since we went and I wanted to do something about it."

Yami leaned over Yugi's shoulder to peek at the canvas. Yugi had painted out two large, dark pyramids in the foreground. A bright sun was peeking out behind one of them, a brilliant white against the dark blue sky.

Yami frowned. The sun was low on the canvas, but it definitely wasn't dawn. "A sunset?"

"Yeah…"

"Aibou," he said, confused, "Egyptian sunsets are orange and red. They reflect the heat off of the gold sand."

"I know," Yugi said, tapping his lip in thought. "But I thought that would be kind of boring. Orange and red and yellow are very warm colors… I wanted to do something cooler, in blue. I know it's unrealistic, but it kind of fit my mood back then."

"Mood?"

"When we got back from Egypt," Yugi explained hesitantly. "I mean – you had left, and I didn't expect you to actually come back… I was upset. So I chose blue."

Yami was aware of the popular notion that artists created the best work while miserable. He just hadn't expected Yugi to take this route; knowing his partner, he had expected Yugi to curl up in himself, grow a bit quieter, smile a bit wider to confuse the others. But for someone who wore his heart on his sleeve so often, Yugi was surprising him, still painting it onto a canvas months after the fact.

"It's beautiful," he said honestly.

Yugi turned red. "Thanks." He swallowed. "I always liked to do this kind of stuff when I was a kid… I wanted to be an artist. I kind of gave it up."

"Why? You have talent, aibou. You could have been an artist…"

"I know. And I would have," he said, smiling, "but I met you."


	34. 70 – lubricious

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yami has his first shower. "He's been in there going on forty minutes now."

"So how long's he been in there?"

Yugi looked up from his book, glancing at the ceiling, where the dull hum of the shower spray could be heard. He then looked to the clock sitting above the doorway. "Going on forty minutes now."

Joey shook his head, smiling. "Can't remember my first time taking a shower. I do remember that it wasn't this exciting, though."

"Hey, he's been locked in a necklace for three thousand years. I figure he has reason to be excited." Yugi licked his thumb and turned a page. "Must feel good to him to have water on his skin after so long."

"But he's felt water," the blond said, then expanded. "I mean, when he was with you. When he... y'know, was possessing you. Or in control of you. What do you call it?"

"We call it a partnership, Joey, not possession." Yugi raised an eyebrow, amused.

"Right, well." He shifted uncomfortably. "Still, is it this big a deal?"

"Apparently so. I mean, he has his own body now. I imagine he's going to try to use it to do and experience as much as he can with it now."

"Oh, God."

"Yugi?"

Yugi turned and, staring at the sight in the doorframe, froze. Joey's brows came together.

The pharaoh stood, bubbles clinging to wet skin and white froth still lingering in damp hair that dripped onto the kitchen tiles below. A single, small towel was wrapped around his navel, but only just; it was slipping, fast, tied together by a loose knot that Yugi suspected he'd done in a hurry. The sound of the showerhead's dull spray of water continued; had that man seriously left the shower on...?

"Ah - yes, Yami?" Yugi wasn't sure whether or not to avert his eyes.

"Where'd you put the other conditioner bottles? I ran out." The look on the pharaoh's face was almost comical, had it been any other circumstance: it was one mixed with the frustrated, desperate, and exasperated state that might also come with discovering that the toilet paper roll had run out just as you'd finished relieving yourself.

"It's - under the sink," Yugi managed out.

"And the nozzle?"

"What?"

"How do you turn it off?"

"You just - turn to the right, all the way to the right."

"Clockwise?"

"Yes, bring it to the six."

"What?"

"The six on the clock, remember?" Yugi nearly shouted, desperate for him to understand, as he pointed to the bottom of the kitchen clock. "The bottom of the circle, where the six would be on the clock. Turn the point of the nozzle to the bottom, the six. I showed you that before."

"Right," Yami said, and rushed off; but paused before he made off, just now noticing Joey. "Oh, Joey, hello."

"Hey there." The blonde gave a tiny wave and a half-smile. "First shower?"

Yami grinned. "Mhm. Yugi's taught me everything."

"Not enough," Yugi barely muttered out of the corner of his mouth. "Yami? The water's still running..."

"Oh, right - " He dashed off, up the stairs, and Yugi's brain unwillingly supplied him with the mental image of the towel falling off as he ran.

"I suspect you'll be seeing a lot of that," Joey commented idly.

"Yeah, I - what?" Yugi blinked. He rolled his eyes at his friend's undignified snort, laughter bursting from the seams of his mouth. Yugi sighed. "Why must everything you say sound sexual?"

Joey hesitated, then grinned. "...That's just the way I do things."

"Clever. Now help me with this English. I can't for the life of me understand how Ryou manages..."


	35. 78 – always

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There'd always be tomorrow.

The sound of the shower awoke him first. Yugi didn’t bother opening his eyes – it had to be at least two am, and he wasn’t in the mood to check to see if he was right – but that was definitely the hum of water hitting the tiles down the hallway, and that was definitely a familiar voice swearing in between other muttered, barely identifiable words, something about shampoo and proper hygiene and how annoying it was of society to expect one to indulge in both. Smiling a bit, Yugi let himself drift off into sleep again. He’d speak to Yami about midnight shower experimentations in the morning.

When he awoke the next time, it was to the undeniable sound of the television blaring loudly in the living room. Yugi cracked open his eyes to see flashes flickering across the hallway from what he could see through the sliver of light in the doorway. A quick glance at his bedside clock told him it was precisely 2:04 in the morning, and from the high-pitched sounds of squealing monster noises – there was no doubt about it – Yami was downstairs watching Pokémon reruns.

Heaven help him. Yugi pulled the covers over his head and satisfied himself with putting another item on his growing list of rules he was crafting for their new living accommodations – no early-morning tv marathons, for one, no matter how bored Yami may be or “I’m not tired, aibou, I swear”s that Yugi had to listen to. But it was also, he felt, too early to go lecturing Yami about keeping it down; the man had just gotten his body back, for goodness sake, and Yugi figured he could be excused for his impatience and mindlessness by forgetting the other occupant in the house. By all means, the pharaoh could use some free time to explore the house and its modern technology without worry he would be bothering another soul with whom he shared a body.

In the morning, then. They’d talk about it in the morning.

But that was weird to think about.

Wasn’t it, though? He’d never have allowed himself to assume there would be a next day, an ‘in the morning’ in most cases. Back in the days with the Puzzle, Yami had been everywhere and nowhere; omnipresent and yet unable to manifest in any sort of physical state. There was really no counting on something – some _one_ – like that, someone that could vanish at any time, like dust in the wind, but Yugi had anyway. Most people probably wouldn’t put up with it, wouldn’t believe it was worth it. And honestly, they’d probably be right. But Yugi never minded.

And the death, the duel, the doors. The test, he supposed was the proper word for it, though it still hurt, just a bit, to think of his pain and grief being measured on the great scales or karma, or something along those lines. But then whichever gods Up There had decided to give the pharaoh a second chance at life, as if to somehow make up for the mess his first one had somehow become, and well, it wasn’t like Yugi wasn’t going to say _no_ to knowing that there _could be_ a tomorrow with him.

The idea that there was a tomorrow at all still leaves him reeling. It’d been less than twenty-four hours and it still hadn’t hit him yet. He was sure it would, soon, too. But for now, it was dark and it was warm and it wasn’t entirely quiet, but… but the background noise of the television was a bit comforting in its own way, if not for the sounds of the airing program than at least for the knowledge of who Yugi knew was really there, sitting in front of the set.

So Yugi buried his head in the pillow again, disregarding that mental list of rules, and went back to sleep.

When he awoke once more, over an hour later judging by his bedside clock, he heard the sounds of pans and dishes clashing down in the kitchen, and stuffed his pillow over his head. Yugi liked to think he was a relatively patient person considering the circumstances, but this was a little ridiculous.

He wasn’t all that mad, no. But maybe he should reconsider that list of rules.

Fire minutes, Yugi told himself, and then he’d go downstairs and coax Yami back into bed, where they’d fall asleep for another ten or twelve hours and then do whatever he wanted in the morning.

He waited five minutes. Then ten. Then another five, and finally, the sound of a light flicking off downstairs and the slow, steady pace of footsteps climbing the stairs.

The next thing he knew Yami was in the doorway, silent as a ghost, and he slid to the edge of the bed in a cautious hesitancy that Yugi wasn’t sure he’d seen before. The pharaoh sat like that for a while, quiet but not tense, peaceful but not opening, before Yugi made the decision for the both of them.

“Come back to bed,” he said, eyes closed and stretching one hand out.

Something other than Yami’s hand touched him instead, something flat and rather fuzzy and nearly weightless. Yugi opened his eyes and squinted in the low lighting to find – a slice of bread lying neatly atop his outstretched palm.

“I thought a shower would be a good start,” Yami said quietly.

Yugi was so lost the best he managed was a very articulate, “Huh?”

“A shower,” the pharaoh said again. “I’m told it’s appropriate to clean oneself up before a meal with someone you care for.”

Yugi blinked, long and slow.

“There was no movie on television that you’d like to see,” he continued. “That was another thing that has been recommended. A film of some sort while we ate. But I couldn’t find anything appropriate.”

And he wouldn’t, Yugi reasoned, and two in the morning, but he found himself so startled by this quiet confession that he held off on a witty remark.

“I figured it best to move straight to the meal itself,” Yami said. “Though I clearly overlooked my culinary skills.” It was impossible to see, of course, but Yugi could imagine Yami tilting his head down, just a fraction, to stare at the ground – the physical version, he supposed, of what might have once been an embarrassed retreating into his soul room.

“By the time I realized a full meal would require more planning than I had knowledge of, I was settling myself to make simple toast, at the very least.” A pause. “But I wasn’t sure if you would forgive me if I accidentally messed up the toaster like Joey had once joked.”

Something in Yugi’s heart clenched. He sat up slowly, watching Yami’s still form, and then wordlessly split the slice of bread in half, offering him one of the pieces.

Yami didn’t exactly pause, but he did wait a long moment to take the bread; he waited longer still to watch Yugi start eating himself before he began nibbling on his half miserably.

When he’d finished, Yugi pulled him gently underneath the covers. “Yami,” he said, “it’s okay.”

“I didn’t – ” A pause. Yugi imagined him swallowing. “Know what to do.”

Coming from a pharaoh, this felt momentous. Coming from a man with an ego the size of Australia, this confession, and the words themselves, indicated something that touched him so purely and honestly that Yugi wasn’t sure if he was awake enough to give the moment the concentration it seemed to deserve.

But he didn’t feel like dissecting it at all right now, didn’t feel as if he could find any more hidden meaning in this simple act of telling than he would be able to normally. Yami would always be there to talk about it if he wanted. But maybe there wasn’t much talking that needed to be said, anyway, after something like this. It may be nice for him to hear, though, later, but not now. There’d always have more time.

“No,” Yugi said, and under his lead Yami finally, finally leaned down to lay down on the bed next to him, side by side. “But it’s okay. I’ll teach you in the morning.”


	36. 79 – surprise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Context/relevant tumblr post: http://meggannn.tumblr.com/post/142844132288
> 
> Coordinated with Fran xo.

Atem spent most of his day watching the event from the second-story window above the Kame Game Shop and – though he’d hand over the God Cards to Kaiba before admitting it to anybody – fuming. Kaiba himself was long gone with his security team, sped off in a limousine, but Isono, Mokuba, a handful of assistants, and several dozen customers were still milling outside past store hours, wrapping up tabletop duels and mulling over last-minute purchases.

“There you are,” Yuugi said from behind him in the doorway. “You didn’t come down to – what’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Atem said. His eyes were still fixed on the figures lingering around the shop entrance. Below, Mokuba was demonstrating a beta of KaibaCorp’s latest patent, a sort of holographic eyewear that had had several people gasping and awing over throughout the day.

“Okay, well, I think we both know that was far too quick to be sincere.” Yuugi joined him on the window seat, legs tucked in against the cushions. Squashed together, knees and ankles bumping, Atem was oddly charmed, just briefly, by the thought that their small statures fit neatly together, here upon the window seat. “Anyway, I’ve been trying to find you since lunch. Saved you something.”

It was hard to stay irritable when Yuugi was too good at being himself. “Oh?”

“Or Kaiba did, anyway.” Yuugi pulled out a hand-sized styrofoam box from his bag, which he opened to reveal –

“I think he brought it here as a peace treaty, y’know,” he said as Atem, wide-eyed, leaned forward to inspect the figurine. A glass model of the Dark Magician’s newest design, dressed in a flowing navy cloak with pale silver trimmings that shone in the sunset light from the window. At Yuugi’s encouraging nod, he lifted it carefully. Was that… real sapphire? “Apparently they’ve got tons of these at KaibaCorp from Industrial Illusions’s latest marketing campaigns. Honestly, I think it was Mokuba’s idea to give it to you, not Seto’s. I get the sense he’s just as tired of this whole thing as I am – ”

“Whole thing?”

Yuugi leveled him a fondly amused look. “My Wiki page – really?”

“How do you assume that was me?”

“How could it _not_ be you?”

“Perhaps it was Rebecca,” Atem suggested innocently, turning back to inspect the model with exaggerated interest. “She’s a big fan of yours. Doesn’t she have an eidetic memory?”

“I don’t think Rebecca could’ve reported all of the cards I held for the match we dueled against her, herself.”

Electing to ignore that, Atem found himself observing the figurine again, turning it gently to inspect the back, watching the way the light caught in the glass staff, the way the tiny eyes shone. “Marvelous,” he muttered, and nearly without thinking, he added, “Mahaad would be honored.”

“I’m glad you like it.” He paused. “Kaiba, er, wanted you to come out and get it yourself. I think he figured it’d be bait, y’know, to have three of the world’s best duelists signing autographs, working the register, all that. But we had more than enough customers, y’know? it didn’t seem fair to do that to you, just as like a marketing ploy.” Yuugi lowered his head and smiled just a bit – he somehow managed to look both bashful and sly at once. “I dueled him for it.”

It wasn’t possible, Atem thought, to count each one of the ways that his partner could make his heart warm. “Naturally,” he replied, and Yuugi’s returning smile banished any remaining thoughts of planning a counter response to Kaiba’s move today.

“I have something for you as well,” Atem said finally, and looked up at Yuugi squarely for the first time since he’d stepped out this morning to collect the package at the front door. He realized with a jolt just how exhausted his partner looked, after an entire morning and afternoon of fans, customers, the press, spontaneous duels, Kaiba in a limousine, arriving unannounced – perhaps now would be a good time, the right time. Yes.

“The – Ishtars sent it.” He placed the figurine on the sill, where it shone orange-blue against the sunset, and leaned down to slowly lift up the packaging box he had leaned against the window seat that morning, after he’d returned upstairs to find Yuugi gone, ambushed in the shop below with his grandfather by fans and reporters alike. He unwrapped it slowly, taking care to treat the _FRAGILE_ warning written across the box seriously. “I thought we might…”

There were a dozen ways to finish that sentence, none of which felt right, but his partner didn’t seem to mind; when he eased open the box top to reveal an elegant dark board and a dozen playing pieces, Yuugi gasped.

“This is – ”

“A senet board!” Yuugi’s eyes were wider than he’d ever seen them, looking for all the world as though Atem had just presented him with the pschent of his kingdom. “It’s – is this an  _original_? It’s not a modern remake?”

“It’s mine,” Atem said quietly. “Or was, I suppose. It’s yours, if you like.”

Yuugi froze.

Perhaps this was too much.

“Your birthday,” he continued, “is next week. I wasn’t sure, exactly…” He coughed, more to stabilize himself than anything. “Ishizu has taken care of several items that came into her possession as Antiquities Director after the Tomb Keeper clan dissolved. Several of them were pharaonic items, passed down the Ishtar line for safekeeping. Of everyone I know, partner – ” He stopped. That wasn’t right. “You would… value its real worth.”

Yuugi made a sudden motion, as though to grab his hand, but seemed to think better of it with the senet board in the way. He folded back into himself, eyes never once leaving the board. It was Atem’s own childhood set, ancient and worn though it was, but after months of private fretting, it was the only thing he could think to offer.

“I’m. This is…” Yuugi’s jaw seemed to be struggling for motion. “This is. I’m. I can’t – ”

Something within felt lodged in his throat, in his stomach, his heart, until –

“I can’t… take this from you, not for myself.” Yuugi did reach across for his hand now, less of an impulsive motion, more… comforting. Natural. “But we’ve shared everything else so far… if that works for you.”

It worked for him. His heart alight again, it worked for anything that truly mattered in this new life, and damn the rest.

Yuugi looked him in the eyes now; his own were very bright. “Thank you.”

Atem smiled. He refused to underestimate this opponent, however new to the game he may be. “Do you know how to play?”

“Heh. Yeah, actually,” Yuugi said, then immediately shook his head. “I mean – well sort of, I looked it up ‘cause I was curious. But it’s hard, historians aren’t really sure – you do know that you guys never wrote down all the rules?”

Well. “Fortunately, you have a master sitting across from you.” Atem’s fingers began sorting the pieces, moving in familiar steps. It was a pattern he hadn’t performed in three millennia, yet remembered now as clearly as his name before him, like everything else. “Would you like to start?”


End file.
